A Change of Fate
by CensorThat
Summary: Someone will save them. Everything will work out in the end, right? Except for when it doesn't. Then, maybe, just maybe, Kratos will take matters into his own hands to save his son's life.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! So, I have a renewed obsession with Tales of Symphonia after replaying it, and I wanted to share my love in the form of fanfiction!** **Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.**

* * *

Standing on top of the altar, staring down at the dying angel before him, Kratos didn't look like their friend anymore. He didn't _sound_ very much like their friend anymore, either. His wings shimmered in the light as Remiel begged for his life and Kratos shrugged him off.

"Dammit!" Lloyd shouted up at him. "Just who are you…?"

Kratos' face softened a bit, before he suddenly became closed off again. "Humph. I am an angel of Cruxis. I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent to watch over the Chosen."

"You deceived us!" Sheena accused.

"I knew it," Raine hissed. "I knew you were hiding something."

"But…Kratos, you…" Lloyd's eyes flicked between Colette's blank face and Kratos' hardened one. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have no need to explain to you," Kratos answered coolly, jumping down to their level and unsheathing his sword. "Cruxis will take the Chosen and resurrect Martel. If you value your life, you won't stand in our way. That's all you need to know."

"I won't let you take her!" Lloyd held his swords up, ready to fight. "If you want Colette, you're going to have to go through us!"

"That's right!" Genis said. Kratos watched as the rest of the group all readied their arms. Slowly, he raised his sword and got into a battle stance.

"You earnestly believe you can defeat me?"

The battle was over quickly. Kratos had been travelling with them for months; he knew their weaknesses, their strengths, their techniques and artes. He anticipated Raine and Genis' spells, dodged Sheena's quick attacks, and countered every one of Lloyd's slashes with one of his own. He took down each of his former companions, one by one, until only Lloyd was left standing. A quick parry, and Lloyd was on the ground.

With Lloyd kneeling before him and Kratos' sword hovering above his head, Kratos stopped.

What was he doing _?_ Had he gone mad? He couldn't hurt his son, he couldn't kill Lloyd. He _wouldn't_ kill Lloyd. This wasn't how his plan was supposed to go.

"I should have known that you would not be able to fight such an opponent."

Yggdrasill. Of course. Kratos stared down at Lloyd for a long moment, considering his options. He could yell at his son to run, to go, before he was killed. He could grab Lloyd's arm and run himself. He could fight Yggdrasill, protect Lloyd, most likely at the cost of his own life.

In the end, he ended up doing what he had always done. He knelt at Yggdrasill's feet and waited.

He was a coward.

Yggdrasill towered over the group, his eyes flickering between them. They lingered on Kratos, then finally rested on the boy several feet away from him. "…Are you Lloyd?"

There was something about the way Yggdrasill said his name, dripping with cold disdain and disgust, that sent a chill down Lloyd's spine. He wasn't sure why this man, this angel he didn't know, was looking at him with such hostility.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd's knees were shaking with effort as he stood up, swords raised at Yggdrasill.

Yggdrasill gave a humorless chuckle. "One need not introduce himself to a dog."

"What did you just say?" Lloyd growled.

"Fine. I'll tell you my name." Yggdrasill swept his arm upwards. "I am Lord Yggdrasill, leader of Cruxis…and the Desians." A ball of light appeared at his fingertips. "I'll show you the meaning of true power."

Kratos didn't intervene. He stood there, rooted to the spot, watching the battle. Yggdrasill looked almost bored, not breaking a sweat against the already weakened group. By the end of it, Yggdrasill stood above three limp bodies and Lloyd.

Lloyd, who was struggling to stay conscious. He was kneeling, using his swords to keep from falling over. His vision swam, Kratos and Yggdrasill and Colette all fading in and out of darkness. And here, he thought he'd been improving on his sword skills.

"Kratos. I trust you have no objections?"

Lloyd glanced up. This new enemy, Yggdrasill, looked amused, almost bored, even. Kratos looked utterly baffled, as if he had no idea where he was or how he got there. He opened his mouth to reply to Yggdrasill, but his voice hitched. Lloyd seized onto Kratos' hesitation.

"Kratos…you spared me."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Despite the fight, despite the betrayal, Kratos hadn't been able to kill him. He was holding back.

"You tried…to leave us behind," Lloyd continued. He was panting heavily, his wounds making it hard to breathe. Kratos eyes widened, either in shock or fear, Lloyd wasn't sure. He pressed on either way. "You tried to protect us."

"Kratos' soft-heartedness will not save you," Yggdrasill said coldly. He raised his arm and a purple sword appeared. "He may feel fondness for you, but I do not. Farewell." Lloyd closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

And then everything happened at once.

There was a flurry of movement. Kratos attacked Yggdrasill, who hadn't been expecting it and didn't have time to dodge or block. A spell came out of nowhere and nearly hit Yggdrasill, who spun to avoid it. Lloyd fell over with a thud, unable to keep upright any longer. Several uniformed men ran up to them, followed by a familiar face.

"Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel!" Botta directed his men towards the group. "We're going to have to take her back alive!"

The soldiers charged forward, physically picking up the wounded party. Up on the altar, Yggdrasill had recovered and procured a sword. He and Kratos were fighting, their swords flashing as they slashed and guarded. Hatred lined both faces; a deep, old hatred that had festered over the years.

"I knew it," Yggdrasill hissed as their swords clashed against each other. "This is just like before. Just like with that _pathetic woman_."

"Don't!" Kratos snarled, his face twisting in anger, "you _dare_ call her pathetic." He pulled back and struck a particularly hard blow, hitting Yggdrasill's sword and pushing him back a few feet. Before he could recover, Kratos struck again. And again. Three more times, before he managed to break Yggdrasill's guard.

"Gah!" Yggdrasill was knocked back, forced away by Kratos' attack. A trail of blood trickled down from his brow. "You worthless—!"

"Kratos!" Botta called out from below the altar. He gestured towards the teleporter, where Kratos saw another Renegade go through, an unconscious Lloyd slung over his shoulder. "You cannot stay here!"

Kratos jumped down just as Yggdrasill recovered and shouted his name. There was a brief moment where Kratos looked torn, but it passed. He ran for the teleporter and followed after Botta, turning his head away so he couldn't see Yggdrasill's face as he disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thanks to all those who read my first chapter. Here's hoping you enjoy this one, too!**

* * *

The teleporter took the group to a building. A very familiar building. Kratos blinked as he looked around, not surprised to see the very same base that the group had rescued Lloyd from.

"Set them down and get the medics to heal them." Botta ordered with authority. He turned to Kratos and hesitated. "…Wait here. You can stay with Ll—with the others." He mentally kicked himself for letting anything slip, but Kratos didn't seem to notice. His eyes were sweeping on his companions, lingering on Lloyd. Botta left, his head spinning.

He had not expected this change in plans. He had not expected Kratos to suddenly turn on Yggdrasill, nor had he expected the man to be so compliant afterwards. Evidently, Kratos valued his son's life over all else, even his own.

Yuan was waiting for Botta when he came into the office.

"Well?" he asked anxiously, his cape swishing as he turned. "Did you get them?"

"We certainly did. The Chosen has already gone through the transformation." Botta folded his arms. "Unfortunately, we had no choice but to take her alive."

Yuan didn't look surprised. "That can be dealt with. And Lloyd?"

"We got them all," Botta confirmed. Yuan nodded and gave a grim smile.

"Excellent. I'll have to find a way to contact Kratos. With Lloyd as our—"

"That won't be necessary," Botta interrupted. "Kratos is here. I'm sure you'll be hearing about it from Yggdrasill shortly."

"Kratos…?" Yuan's eye widened in sudden understanding. "He flipped on Yggdrasill?"

Botta nodded. "Like a coin. He's in the other room. The only one conscious, except for the Chosen."

"Hmm…" Yuan started to pace, his mind racing. "Do you think he will co-operate with us?"

"I don't know. He's…being very cagey. And quiet."

"…When _isn't_ Kratos being quiet and cagey?" Yuan muttered. "Well, this works out better for us, anyway. Let me know when the rest of them are awake. I want to talk to them."

"But, sir, if Kratos sees you…"

"Kratos is no fool. He was bound to find out sooner or later." Yuan turned to go to his desk. "And he's no longer at risk of telling Yggdrasill about me. I'd say we're past the point where it matters."

"…Very well. Then I'll go see to it that they come here when they wake." With that, Botta marched out the door and went to check on their captives. Yuan sat down at his desk and leaned back, rubbing his temples.

Things just kept getting more and more complicated, didn't they?

* * *

Back in the bedroom, the Renegade medics finished healing the Regeneration group and left them to rest. None of them said anything to Kratos, not that he expected them to, but he heard the door click as they locked him in. He pulled a chair over to the side of Lloyd's bed and sat down.

All of the group had been in bad shape, but Lloyd had gotten the brunt of it. Or perhaps that was just Kratos' overprotective mind playing tricks on him. Regardless, Kratos had to give credit to the Renegades: the medics had healed all of them so well that it looked like nothing more than a typical monster battle. They wouldn't need to rest for very long.

He glanced around to make sure the rest of his companions were still unconscious (or soulless…) before reaching out and gently brushing a lock of Lloyd's hair out of his face. The boy didn't stir, and Kratos pulled the blankets up over his shoulder and tucked them around him.

He suddenly felt tired, almost defeated. He had been so careless that he had almost let Yggdrasill kill Lloyd. He had almost simply stood aside and watched as he lost his dearest son _again._

He clenched his fists. He was such a coward.

The moments ticked by, with Kratos lost in his thoughts. Lloyd was resting fitfully, his face slack and peaceful. If he looked closely, Kratos could almost see the child he had left so many years ago, still present in that face.

Sheena was the first to wake up, groaning as she rubbed her eyes. Kratos shifted, scooting his chair back away from Lloyd to look as casual as possible. She blinked blearily at him, her mind catching up, and suddenly she let out a strangled yelp.

"Kratos! What are you—?"

"There's no need to worry," he said, turning away from her. "I have no intention of harming you."

"Ha! Like I believe that!" Sheena jumped out of the bed. "You beat the crap out of us! Why are you here?" She squinted and looked around. "Wait…Kratos, are you…a Renegade?"

"…" Kratos didn't answer her. It didn't matter, anyway; several seconds later, Genis woke up with a loud snort, tangled in his blankets. Sheena immediately went to him and helped him out.

"Ack! Thanks, Sheena, I really appreciate it…hey, where are we?" Genis glanced around. "This looks like the place Lloyd was held before…" His eyes landed on Kratos and narrowed. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"I don't know, but just ignore him. He's not causing any problems." Sheena turned to the corner hesitantly. "…Colette?"

"She's the same," Kratos said. Genis went up to the girl and gently tapped her shoulder. She ignored him. "It's no use. She's lost her soul."

"Colette, can you hear us?" Sheena got closer, as if Colette just couldn't hear her. "Damn!"

"I told you," Kratos repeated. "The Chosen's soul and memory are gone. Right now, nothing you say will get through to her."

"This is your fault." Sheena spun around to face him, fury in her eyes. "You and Cruxis and that Yggdrasill guy! Colette is like this because of you!"

"Is this not what the Chosen wanted?" Kratos bit back. "She knew what came at the end of this journey. She chose this fate herself."

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on that." They all turned to look at where the voice came from, where Raine was just sitting up. "Colette was told of her fate when she was very young. She had no choice in the matter. She was…groomed to serve Sylvarant. It's horrible, and if I'm correct and Cruxis is behind it, that makes it even worse." She was looking intently at Kratos with a cold stare. "I always hated this part of the Church of Martel. The blind devotion and loyalty to the Chosen, placing all of the expectations on a young child. But I always assumed it was a societal problem, rather than an institutional one."

"It's both," Kratos replied. "Cruxis set up the Church, but the people embraced it." He looked away. "I'm not saying it is right. But it is what it is."

Raine opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the door opening with a swish. Botta entered the room and glanced around. "Hmm…not everyone is awake. We will wait, then."

"Botta! It's good to see you." Sheena greeted the man like an old friend. "Is—?"

"We will have time to catch up later," he interrupted. There was a moan from the last bed, and Lloyd sat up.

"Lloyd!" Genis said. "You're finally awake!"

"Ugh…where are we?" Lloyd blinked a few times, then frowned. "Where's Colette?"

He was out of the bed before anyone could answer him. He hesitated as he approached her, then said cautiously, "Colette?"

"She doesn't respond to anything we say," Sheena said quietly.

"Dammit!"

"Lloyd, tell me," Raine asked evenly, "do you remember this place? We're in the Triet Desert. The Desian Base."

"Huh?" Lloyd looked around. "You're right!"

"These guys aren't Desians," Sheena said. "They're the Renegades. They're the ones who helped me go between the two worlds."

"That's correct." Botta stepped forward now. "If you come with me, we—"

"And you!" Lloyd suddenly turned around, eyes narrowed at Kratos. "Why are you here? You're a traitor, you lied to us!" Lloyd's hand went automatically to his swords, but Raine stopped him.

"Lloyd, we need to assess the situation before we make any rash moves," she said, grabbing his arm and squeezing. "Calm down."

"Kratos defended you at the Tower of Salvation," Botta said calmly. "Without his interference with Yggdrasill, it would've been much harder for us to get away."

"Really?" Lloyd asked. Kratos didn't answer, instead staring at the wall ahead of him. "Yeah…that's right. You attacked him and we got away. I remember now."

"But…you betrayed us." Sheena folded her arms, clearly conflicted. "Why would you—?"

"We don't have time to discuss this," Kratos interrupted. He stood up and faced Botta. "Everyone is awake. You can tell us what you want with us now."

Botta nodded. "Come with me. There is…much to discuss."

Botta marched them out the doors: first Raine and Colette, then Sheena and Genis, and finally Lloyd and Kratos. Lloyd kept sneaking curious glances at Kratos, but didn't say anything.

The room they entered was an office, decorated in the same way as the rest of the rooms. Lloyd recognized it as the room where they had fought Botta the first time they'd been here. And there, standing at the desk, was the blue-haired man Lloyd had first met. He turned around and glanced over all of them. "You're awake. Good."

"Of course," Kratos exhaled quietly. "Yuan. I should've known."

"Kratos. I'd say it's nice to see you, but I'd be lying."

"Wait." Lloyd looked between them. "You two know each other?"

"Hmph. You could say that." Kratos' eyes flickered to Lloyd. "Don't you recognize him?"

"…Huh? Well, I saw him last time I was here. But that's the only…wait." Lloyd squinted at Yuan, who raised an eyebrow. "…You! You were in Hima! You tried to kill Kratos!"

Yuan rolled his eyes. "Well, aren't you a true genius with a capital J. Your parents must be so proud."

"What did you say to me?" Lloyd snapped, his face flushing in anger.

"Enough." Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "There is no time for petty arguments." He gestured around at Botta and the guards. "We are the Renegades, a group of resistance fights dedicated to bringing down the Desians…or rather, the Cruxis."

"So they _are_ the same organization," Raine said. "Their goal must be to resurrect Martel. That's why they control the marriages of the Mana Lineage, so that they can create a perfect vessel for her."

"Correct. This particular Chosen has the closest match to Martel's mana signature; therefore, I'm certain that the resurrection would be successful." Yuan folded his arms. "You've met Sheena. Tell me, do you know of the other world?"

"Tethe'alla," Lloyd said quickly.

"Yes. The two worlds fight for the supply of mana. Waxing and waning, the cycle continues as long as the Regeneration does."

"So you want to stop the Regeneration." Raine rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "However…what does Cruxis have to do with the systems of the world?"

"The one who created this twisted world system was the leader of Cruxis, Yggdrasill."

"What?" Genis gaped at him. "Create a world? How can someone do that?"

"With a lot of power," Yuan replied flatly. "You fought him, but you saw only a taste of it. That sort of power doesn't just come from training or mana or might. That's the sort of power that one would borrow from the gods."

"What can you possibly hope to do against someone that powerful?" Lloyd questioned. "And that's not all. You tried to kill Colette, but now you've saved us. Why?"

Yuan snorted. "You're not as stupid as you seem."

"Excuse me?" Lloyd glared at him, but Botta interrupted them both.

"Thus far, we have only been able to delay Cruxis, obstructing their plans. Killing the Chosen would only continue that pattern." He gestured to Colette, who was staring off, unaware of the conversation. "Now the Chosen has become a lethal weapon who will kill anyone who tries to harm her. We wouldn't dare lay a hand on her."

"Colette..." Lloyd clenched his fists. "There has to be a way to stop Cruxis," he insisted. "To change this whole system. I want…I want to save Colette and Sylvarant, and Tethe'alla! There has to be a way."

Yuan raised an eyebrow at him. "Funny you should mention that. Our goals, it seems, align."

"We wish to stop the resurrection of Martel," Botta explained, "which would end Cruxis' reign once and for all."

"So…we're all on the same side?" Lloyd sounded almost hopeful. "Is that what you're saying?

Yuan narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Sides don't matter right now." He walked closer to the group. "You have no idea how lucky we are. Everything we need just fell into our laps. We need Kratos…" A few soldiers shifted closer to the aforementioned man, who didn't seem bothered. "And we need you, Lloyd Irving!"

"Me?" Lloyd looked shocked, as did the rest of the group. "What's so special about me?"

"That's none of your concern. Get them!"

Apparently, Kratos had been waiting for this to happen. He pulled his blade out and attacked one of the guards near him. "Lloyd! Look out!"

Lloyd didn't heed his warning in time, as Yuan strode forward with a ball of lightning gleaming in his palm. "You're coming with me!"

"Let me go!" Lloyd kicked out, aiming for Yuan's midriff. Yuan had the wind knocked out of him and gasped, grabbing his side.

"Gah! Kratos, you—"

"It's his wound from Hima!" Botta and the other guards surrounded him, focused on Yuan, who was struggling to stay standing. The rest of the group took their opportunity, dashing out of the room before the guards could stop them. Lloyd turned to follow, but Yuan wasn't through yet.

"Tell me, Lloyd," Yuan said through gritted teeth, "did you know that Kvar was telling you the truth?"

Lloyd froze. "Kvar…? What do you mean?"

"Lloyd! What are you doing?" Sheena shouted for him and he took a few more steps. "Come on!"

"But…" Lloyd glanced behind him, as if he wanted to stay. Kratos grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

"He's toying with you," Kratos argued. He pulled his son towards the door, after his friends. "Don't let him deceive you."

"Right." Lloyd still looked conflicted, but Kratos and Sheena both ushered him towards the door. The three of them went outside, where Genis, Raine, and Colette were waiting. They ran through the corridors, dodging and fighting guards as they went. Eventually, they managed to duck into an empty hallway and stop to regroup.

"Dammit!" Lloyd pounded his fist into the wall. "What is Yuan playing at?! What's he know about me and my mom?"

"Lloyd, you need to stay focused," Kratos said firmly. "Yuan is a master manipulator. He's only saying things he knows will get to you."

"Yeah…yeah, I know that." Lloyd exhaled slowly. "Okay, what do we do now?"

"Well," Raine contemplated, "if we want to save Colette…I suggest we go to Tethe'alla. No doubt the flourishing world is more advanced; perhaps they can help Colette."

"Hmph." Kratos folded his arms. "You're going awfully far just to save the Chosen." He nodded to Lloyd. "And don't forget, if you save her…you doom Sylvarant."

"…One thing at a time," Lloyd finally said. "We'll save Colette, then we'll worry about everything else." He looked up at Kratos, determination in his eyes. "I was serious back there. I want to save everyone: Colette, Sylvarant, and Tethe'alla. It has to be possible. There has to be a way."

"And if there isn't?" Kratos asked him.

"Then we'll make one!" Lloyd clenched his fist. "Dwarven Vow 16: You can do anything if you try!"

"That's great," Genis said, "but how are we going to get to Tethe'alla?"

"I came over here on a device called a Reheaird." Sheena pointed down the hallway. "If we head for the hangars, we can steal some from the Renegades."

"Then let's go," Lloyd said firmly. He turned to look down the hallway. "To Tethe'alla."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3! Thanks again to everyone who's reading. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it!**

* * *

Botta had never before met anyone, in his life, who could manage to glare and mutter under his breath while also grimacing in pain. But Yuan was doing exactly that, muttering about his subordinates while the healers tried to fix his ripped stitches.

"Sir, lift your arms, we can't see the wound."

"…absolutely asinine idiots…"

"Please, sir, you need to stay still."

"…would've thought they were brain-dead…"

"Staying still means not talking!"

"…just waltzed out the door!"

"Somebody go get a sedative!"

"Enough." Botta sighed and indicated the door. "You know what he's like. When he gets stubborn like this, he won't let anyone help him. I'll handle it."

The medics took their leave, while Yuan gave a snarl and turned his ire to Botta. "Don't treat me like I'm a petulant child."

"Then don't behave as if you are one." Botta knelt down beside him and picked up the sutures that the medics had abandoned. "Do you want me to get anesthesia?"

Silence. Finally, a disgruntled, "No."

Botta sighed. "Fine. If you want to be in pain because you'd rather be angry than productive, then that's your prerogative. Straighten your back and try not to move."

Yuan begrudgingly did as he was told, gripping the arms of the chair in anticipation of the pain. "Damnable morons," he hissed as Botta disinfected the wound. "I can't believe they let Lloyd and Kratos get away."

"You expected that they would escape," his lieutenant reminded him.

"Yes, but it didn't have to be so easy. The guards didn't even _try_ to stop them." Yuan let out a raspy noise from his throat as Botta started to re-stitch the wound together. "…Is it too late for that anesthesia?"

"I'm almost finished." Botta made quick work of it, barely taking a minute to finish. "There. Not the cleanest job, but it'll do. You won't bleed to death, at least."

"Aren't I lucky."

"You should have let me handle the Chosen's group," Botta chastised, straightening. "This wound is nothing to play with. Kratos very nearly killed you."

"Never mind that now." Yuan winced as he put his shirt back on. "We need to plan our next move. If they stole the Reheairds, they're probably headed to Tethe'alla."

"We'll send some troops after them." Botta reached for his communicator, but Yuan grabbed his wrist. "What is it?"

"I think it best we wait," Yuan said. "Don't send anyone after them yet."

"Wait?" Botta gave him a curious look. "Why?"

Yuan clasped his hands together thoughtfully. "…Before we can reunite the worlds, we'll have to germinate the Great Seed. If we don't, there won't be enough mana to sustain life." He inhaled deeply, his face twisting in pain as he rubbed his wound. "Before we can do that, we'll have to break the mana links around the Seed. And that means…"

"We'll need a Summoner," Botta finished. "Of course. We use Sheena to break the mana links and we use Kratos to release Origin."

"We'll need to capture Lloyd, but not until the mana links are broken," Yuan continued. "Contact Zelos Wilder. They're going to head for Meltokio, so he can catch up with them there. No doubt he's devious enough to find a way to infiltrate their group."

"Of course." Botta went to leave to make the communication, but Yuan stopped him.

"Botta."

"Yes, sir?" Botta turned around. Yuan was looking at him with those intent, focused eyes of his.

"Thank you."

Botta nodded. "Of course, sir. That's my job."

* * *

The Rheairds crashed. With the mana flow reversing, Tethe'alla did not have enough mana to keep them in the air. Kratos had thought this would happen, though he kept his suspicions private.

They ended up crash-landing in the Fooji Mountains. No one was injured, though the party was shaken up a bit. As they tried in vain to get the Rheairds working again, they decided to head for the capital city.

"It's the best option for helping Colette," Sheena explained. "We can talk to the king and get access to some of the Cruxis Crystal research that's been done."

"Do you think the king will cooperate with you?" Kratos questioned. He didn't feel comfortable putting himself in their group anymore; he was an outsider now. "Colette's survival puts Tethe'alla at risk."

"Well…I don't really know what else to do…" Sheena shrugged. "All Cruxis Crystal research is through the Church and the Royal Family. We'll need to get their permission to see any info."

"Hmph." Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you worried they might try to kill her instead?"

"That's something we'll have to deal with if it happens." Lloyd, who had been brushing dirt off himself and Colette, turned around. "Maybe we can convince them to help us."

"Well…good luck."

"There is something else we need to discuss." Raine stepped forward, arms folded and eyes trained on Kratos.

Lloyd looked between them. "What is it, Professor?"

"I'd assume you're talking about me," Kratos said. "I would be disappointed otherwise."

"Quite frankly," Raine said sharply, "I don't trust you."

"A wise decision."

Raine continued as if she hadn't heard him. "This is a case of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

"The enemy of my enemy…?" Lloyd grimaced. "Aw, geez, Professor, do you have to talk in riddles?"

"She means," Genis said, rolling his eyes, "that since Kratos is against Cruxis, he's on our side."

"…Wait, then, what about the Renegades? Does that mean the enemy of the enemy is my enemy or something?"

"Something like that," Raine said. Kratos scoffed and she frowned at him. "You not only misled us from the beginning, but also attacked us. You may have saved us, but…it's disconcerting that your loyalties seem to change based on the time of day."

"It doesn't matter," Kratos said dismissively, folding his arms. "I have things I must do. I am going to leave with or without your permission."

"Wait, you're going somewhere else?" Lloyd looked up at him, slightly hurt. "But…where are you going to go? What do you have to do?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Then go," Raine told him coldly. "I want you as far away from us as possible. If you do decide to go back to Cruxis—a possibility, you'll agree—then I certainly don't want you passing them any more information."

He humphed. "I would think you would want me with you at all times. Keep your friends close…"

"…And your enemies closer." She narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunately, the same also holds true for the bad guys."

There was silence for a moment, while all eyes looked between Kratos and Raine, waiting for his response. Finally, the silence was broken.

"I think you should stay with us."

All eyes turned to the speaker. Lloyd's proclamation was met with astonishment, even from Kratos himself.

"You helped us right after you betrayed us." Lloyd continued, despite the strange looks of his companions. "And you helped us escape the Renegades. You're not an enemy, at least…not anymore."

"Lloyd, you're a trusting soul," Raine began. "But you cannot be so easily misled."

Kratos shook his head at the boy. "Raine is right. You shouldn't trust me. Your naiveté will be the death of you."

Lloyd shrugged, not bothered by their statements. "Whatever. I still think you should stick with us."

There was a moment of silence as their eyes locked. Lloyd looked so much like Anna in that moment—stubborn and fierce. Finally, Kratos sighed.

"I have to travel to Meltokio, anyway," he said. "Then I will take my leave."

Lloyd looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't say anything. Genis and Sheena both seemed a bit hesitant, but neither argued. It was only Raine who scoffed.

"Well…it is what it is, I suppose. At least we can gain valuable information on Cruxis from you." With that, she stalked away, headed for the path down the mountain.

"Alright!" Lloyd looked satisfied, heading after her. "C'mon, Sheena, you have to lead the way!"

"Ah, right!" She and Genis both ran after them, leaving Kratos to stare after them.

What had he just agreed to?

* * *

The backyard of the Wilder mansion was a lush, beautiful garden. Zelos could remember, many years ago, when his mother would tend to the garden herself. He sort of wished he'd paid more attention, but unfortunately, he never had, so instead there was a gardener who came by once a week.

So when he was lounging around near some kind of weird roses—or maybe they weren't roses at all—and his communicator beeped, he answered it and asked, "Hey, what sort of flowers are orange and black striped?"

"Chosen. Good afternoon." The hologram of Botta looked as calm and collected as ever. "I believe those are called tiger lilies."

"Huh. Good to know." He stretched. "So, what does Lord Double-Cross want from me now?"

"The Chosen of Sylvarant is still alive. She's lost her soul, but the ritual was not completed."

"Great. Real wonderful." Zelos rolled his eyes. "And I care because…?"

"The group she was with is headed to Tethe'alla now, to try to save her soul. Sheena is with them." Botta nodded at Zelos. "We need you to intercept and join their group. To keep an eye on them."

"Huh. That's a weird mission." Zelos put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes peacefully. "And a familiar one."

Botta blinked at him. "…Ah. Yggdrasill asked you to do the same."

"He sure did. He also mentioned a few other things." Zelos opened one striking blue eye. "Like that Kratos is with them. _And_ his kid. That would have been nice to know."

"…Well. What is Yggdrasill asking you to do?"

"Same thing. Just gonna keep an eye on them." Zelos stood up. "Well, better get on with it. Unless you've got anything else to intentionally not tell me."

"We'll be in touch in a few days." Botta nodded and hung up the communicator. Zelos rolled his eyes as he pocketed it.

Well…it couldn't hurt to work with them both, he mused as he stood up to go back inside. Play the field, that was his motto. Sebastian was inside, waiting for him with a note.

"Ah, Master Zelos, just in time. I've just received word that Lady Carmine will be arriving for dinner shortly. You'd best go upstairs and get dressed."

Zelos grinned.

And what a motto it was.

* * *

Kratos had to admit, seeing Lloyd's face as they arrived in Meltokio did cheer him up.

"Wow," the boy breathed. "This is incredible."

"It's huge," Genis said, equally amazed. "Twice the size of Palmacosta!"

"Huh?" Sheena blinked at them. "Oh, yeah, I guess you guys have never seen a city like this. Just wait until you see it all lit up at night."

"Enough chit-chat." Kratos folded his arms. "We should hurry on."

Sheena pulled something out of her pack. "Here, take this. I have to go report to the Vice-Chief of my village, but this letter explains everything. Give to the king, and he'll grant you an audience."

"Are you going to be okay?" Lloyd asked, worried. "I mean…you didn't kill Colette like you were supposed to."

"Well, I can't say I'm looking forward to telling him about my failure," she admitted. "But the Vice-Chief is a reasonable man. If I explain what's going on, I'm sure it'll be okay."

"Will we see you again?" Genis asked.

"I'm sure I'll see you guys at some point," she assured him, ruffling his hair affectionately. He ducked away, his cheeks burning. "Take care, you guys."

With that, Sheena was off, calling upon Corrine to walk with her. Lloyd sighed. "Man…I hope Sheena will be alright. She won't get in trouble, will she?"

"Hmm…I hope not…" Raine sighed. "She knows what she's doing. I'm sure she'll be safe."

Lloyd held up the letter to the king. "Wow. This thing will let us meet the king of Tethe'alla." He grinned. "We should hurry up and see if he can save Colette!"

"It's getting dark," Raine observed. "I highly doubt the castle will be accepting visitors at this hour. Let's get a room at the inn for tonight."

"But-!" Lloyd started to protest, but Kratos put his hand on his shoulder to cut him off.

"It won't do us any good to try to see him now," he said firmly. "We'd best take the time to regroup and decide our next steps."

"…Okay. I understand." Lloyd nodded and started into the city. "But we're going first thing tomorrow!"

He and Genis led Colette through the gates, marveling at all the new sights. Kratos went to follow after them, but something grabbed his sleeved and pulled him back.

"Hmm?" Raine had hold of him and he sighed. "Ah. I should have expected this. Not quite done with me?"

"Lloyd is quick to forgive," she hissed. "He is kind-hearted and has an innocent soul. He believes in redemption and second chances. I…do not." She did not let go of him as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have grown to trust Sheena because she is an enemy-turned-friend."

"And I am a friend-turned-enemy." Kratos blinked at her. "Understandable."

She let go of him. "Then let me make myself clear, since you're being so congenial. If you do anything even the slightest bit suspicious, I will do whatever necessary to keep those children safe. Remember that."

She walked past him, following the teenagers. He watched her go before slowly trudging behind her.

The inn was larger than any they had stayed in in Sylvarant. They stayed in a room with clean, crisp beds and ocean paintings hanging on the wall. There was a small balcony that overlooked the grand staircase in the middle of the city. Lloyd immediately headed for it, taking Colette's hand and tugging her with him. Genis started to pull food out of their packs to decide on dinner. Raine settled all of their things near the beds and curled up in a chair, reading her book. Kratos glanced around, unsure of what to do now. Eventually, he decided to go to the balcony.

Outside, Lloyd was standing beside Colette. He was leaning close to her ear, talking to her. He kept pointing out in the city, gesturing animatedly.

"You're going to like Tethe'alla," he was saying. "This city's huge. We can play hide and seek and pretend we're royalty, just like when we were kids. And we can—" Lloyd stopped short when he noticed Kratos nearby. "What is it?" he asked harshly.

"…Nothing." Kratos took a step backwards into the room. "Nothing at all, Lloyd."

The boy sighed and turned back. "Sorry, Kratos. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"That's alright. I didn't mean to intrude."

"…You probably think I'm crazy," Lloyd said before he left. Kratos raised an eyebrow. "I mean…she can't hear me."

"…" Kratos wanted to say something comforting, something...kind, but he didn't really know what to say. He settled for a noncommittal grunt before retreating back into the room.

Kratos ended up on one of the beds, cleaning his armor and swords in silence. Raine's eyes occasionally flickered to look at him, but she mostly ignored him. Genis glanced up at him. "Um…hey, Kratos?"

"Yes?" he replied. He didn't look up. "What is it?"

Genis looked nervous as he fiddled with the supplies for sandwiches. "Um…if you're an angel, like Colette, does that mean you can't taste?"

"No, I can taste," he said. "My Cruxis Crystal has a key crest. As such, I reap all the benefits without any of the negative effects."

"So you don't need to eat, but you can taste if you want." Genis leaned back on his hands. "Huh."

"Why do you bring it up?"

Genis blinked in surprise. "Oh. Uh, well, I was just curious. You always said you hated tomatoes and I wanted to know if you…never mind."

"You wanted to know if I was faking." Genis' face went red and he nodded. "I was not. I still don't like tomatoes."

"Gotcha." Genis went back to the food he was preparing. "Well, um, if you're hungry…or well, if you want, there's stuff here for sandwiches."

"…Thank you." Kratos nodded, but didn't get up. "Maybe I'll get some later."

"Go let Lloyd know dinner is ready," Raine told Genis. He stood up to do so as Raine glanced at Kratos. "You will have to tell us more about Cruxis Crystals. Perhaps it can help Colette."

"Hmph." Kratos folded his arms. "I'll tell you what I know, though I doubt it will be helpful. Cruxis Crystals are...difficult to predict."

"Hmm. Interesting." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Then Cruxis itself isn't quite as all-knowing as it seems to be."

Kratos was saved from responding by Lloyd, Genis, and Colette coming back inside. "Alright, time to eat! I'm starving."

They all settled around on the floor; it was so familiar to the journey they had concluded not two days ago. But it was different: there was no cheerful banter and teasing. Lloyd and Kratos were not arguing over sword technique or battle scars. Raine wasn't sniping at Sheena every chance she got. Genis and Colette weren't giggling and telling jokes. It was quiet, too quiet, and still as they ate. Finally, Lloyd said, "So…what now?"

"What do you mean, what now?" Kratos asked abruptly. "You wanted to save the Chosen. Isn't that why you came all this way?"

"That's not what I meant," Lloyd said, annoyed. "I've been thinking about this. After we save Colette, we have to find a way to save both of the worlds."

"Hmm…it's possible there isn't one," Raine said quietly. "We still don't know exactly how these two worlds work. If they both need mana, but there's only enough for one to survive…"

"That's why Yggdrasill split the worlds," Kratos explained. "Originally, he did it to save them. However, in doing so, it also fulfilled another purpose: keeping Martel alive."

"Wait, then...is this Yggdrasill a good guy or a bad guy?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos didn't answer at first. "...'Good' and 'bad' are a bit too simplistic. Cruxis may do terrible things, but Yggdrasill believes in his vision. He, ultimately, is doing what he thinks is best, making the sacrifices he thinks are necessary."

"The road to hell, I suppose," Raine mused.

"…Is that why you turned against Cruxis?" Lloyd suddenly asked. Kratos stiffened. "You don't agree with that."

"I have my reasons." Kratos turned away, refusing to talk about it anymore.

"That's not all." Lloyd's face scrunched up in frustration. "The Renegades need to make up their minds. They want to save the world, but then they try to kidnap us!"

"Not us," Raine said wearily. "You, specifically, Lloyd. Which actually makes sense, if we consider their past actions. Back at the beginning of this journey, they imprisoned you, but allowed Genis to go free."

"But I want to know why I'm so important," Lloyd grumbled. "It just doesn't make any sense! Why me?"

"Maybe…maybe it's because of your Exsphere," Genis said quietly.

This announcement was met by complete confusion. "Wait, what about my Exsphere?" Lloyd asked, frowning down at it.

"Well, your mom was in that weird experiment at Kvar's ranch." Genis shrugged. "Maybe it worked. What if your Exsphere is special?"

"Hmm, that's an interesting thought," Raine mused. "Kvar did mention that the Exsphere was to go to Yggdrasill…perhaps it's more powerful than a typical Exsphere."

"And didn't you say the Desians were trying to take it from her when she died?" Genis added. "That sounds pretty important."

Lloyd clamped his hand over his Exsphere. "I don't know anything anymore. And it doesn't matter, either. Whatever Yuan wants with me, I'm not going down without a fight!"

Kratos turned back around. His eyes met Lloyd's. "Yuan may not just be interested in your Exsphere. Don't forget, he said that he needs me, as well."

"Yeah, I wondering about that, too," Genis said, frowning. "Why would Yuan want to capture you?"

"I'd assume it's his high rank in Cruxis," Raine answered, acting as if Kratos wasn't in the room. "Kratos has invaluable information that Yuan may hope to obtain."

"No, because I think Yuan is in Cruxis, too," Lloyd said thoughtfully. "If he wasn't, then how did he know all about Tethe'alla and Yggdrasill and everything? He talked like he knew Yggdrasill pretty well."

There was total silence before Kratos said, "As always, you surprise me, Lloyd."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lloyd snapped.

"It means you're right." Kratos folded his arms across his chest. "Yuan is indeed a member of Cruxis. He's actually another of the Four Seraphim."

"He's an angel, too?" Kratos nodded and Genis gaped at him. "That's ridiculous! How many of you are there?"

"The Four Seraphim," Kratos explained patiently, "are Yggdrasill, Yuan, myself, and Martel. Below us are lower rank angels. Remiel and several others. They help to facilitate the Regeneration and organize the Desians. Beneath them are Desians, who are simply half-elves who use Exspheres. The other angels are…well, they're essentially automatons."

"Automa-whats?" Lloyd leaned forward and Raine sighed.

"How should I put this? They're…machines, almost. They do only what they are programmed or told to do, and nothing more."

"They are what the Chosen is right now," Kratos said bluntly. Lloyd glanced at the girl in the corner. "Soulless."

"…Soulless…" Lloyd's eyes focused on Colette. "And you're…okay with that?"

"It is what it is," Kratos replied. "Cruxis has a long history of atrocities to its name. That particular one is low on the list."

"Gah!" Lloyd put his head in his hands. "This is all too much. I have a headache."

"Yes," Raine said slowly. "Perhaps we'd do best to focus on the problem at hand. Right now, saving Colette is what is most important."

"Right." Lloyd clenched his fist as he glanced at his friend. "One problem at a time."

* * *

By the time Yuan arrived in Vinheim—the damnable castle was so creepy, straight out of a horror novel—Rodyle and Pronyma were both there. Yuan stopped several feet before the throne. He didn't bow, as Kratos would (he would never bow to Mithos), but he did nod when Yggdrasill said his name.

"Yuan. I assume you've heard about the Chosen's failure."

"Yes." He stepped forward a bit. "I also heard about Kratos. Do you know where he went?"

"Quite obviously," Pronyma mused, "he has taken the Chosen's group to Tethe'alla. I have already contacted Zelos Wilder to watch for them. If they come through Meltokio, we'll be able to capture them."

"Of course," Rodyle said slickly, "I doubt it will be so easy. Kratos is a slippery man. He eluded Cruxis before. He made it, what, almost fifteen years with that human girl?"

"Rodyle," Pronyma said warningly. "It does no good to talk of the past."

"What is Kratos' goal?" Yggdrasill said suddenly. He had been staring off for a few moments, paying no attention to the conversation happening before him. "Releasing Origin does him no good…there is no one else…"

"My Lord." Pronyma sighed fondly. "Do not trouble yourself with Kratos. I will find him quickly. He will not get away. Nor will the Chosen."

"…The Chosen is most likely going to have the same sickness that my sister had." Yggdrasill's focus came back. "Yuan. I need you to start preparing her treatment. You know what it requires."

Yuan nodded. Of course he did. He could remember searching across the countries, long ago, in pursuit of a cure for Martel. Yggdrasill turned to Rodyle.

"Tell Forcystus to continue running your ranches as if nothing has changed. As far as Sylvarant knows, the Chosen is still on the Regeneration journey. I wish to keep it that way."

"Of course, Lord Yggdrasill." Rodyle bowed, though he had a smirk that almost seemed mocking. "As you say."

"Pronyma. Retrieve the Chosen. Ignore Kratos for now. I doubt you'd be able to capture him and survive." She nodded back at him, though she didn't look pleased. "But before you do that, go to the material depository."

"What do you require, my Lord?"

Yggdrasill shook his head. "It is not what I require. Gather all the Aionis we have and destroy it."

"Aionis?" Pronyma looked surprised. "But if we need it…"

"We won't," Yggdrasill assured her. "You're dismissed."

Pronyma still looked slightly unsure, Rodyle looked bored, and Yuan tried not to look concerned. Both the half-elves left, but Yuan stayed behind.

"What of Lloyd?" he asked Yggdrasill. "As long as he lives…Kratos won't come back to Cruxis."

"One problem at a time, Yuan," Yggdrasill said silkily. "One problem at a time."

* * *

As the night began to wind down, Raine insisted that the group sleep in the one room. "We need to be careful, Lloyd," she chastised when he complained. "We should stick together. Remember, not even a day ago, we discovered a traitor in our midst."

Clearly, her heart had not warmed to Kratos.

It was just as well. Kratos no longer had to pretend to sleep; his secret was out. Instead, he chose to sit on the bed and wait while his companions all fell asleep. He alternated between watching the Chosen (she was staring blankly at him) and Lloyd (he was loudly snoring and rolling around in the bed).

Eventually, he stood up and went to the balcony of their room. Outside the sky was dark and clear, the stars sparkling above him. He sighed.

Things had spiraled out of control. He'd had a plan in place, a carefully thought out plan, that had fallen apart so quickly, and so spectacularly. And now, here he was, a traitor to both parties, somehow.

Behind him the door creaked open. He heard the footsteps and didn't even bother to turn around.

"Lloyd. You should be asleep. It's late."

"Who was the woman that Yggdrasill guy was talking about?"

Startled, Kratos looked back. Lloyd had followed him out onto the balcony, as he had a bad habit of doing. He was in his disheveled sleep clothes and his hair was more unruly than normal, but his eyes were alert and awake.

"What are you talking about?" Kratos turned back, resting his arms on the railing. Lloyd stood beside him, mimicking his stance.

"Before the Renegades took us," Lloyd explained. "I heard him talking to you. He said something about a woman. He called her pathetic, and you got upset."

"…" Kratos closed his eyes. "I didn't think you had heard that. You were…in fairly bad shape."

"Is she a friend of yours?" Lloyd prodded. "Or is she a girlfriend or family or something?"

Kratos made a noise in his throat. "It doesn't matter. He was trying to distract me from the fight. It didn't work."

"Why haven't you talked about her before now?" Lloyd was persistent, Kratos would give him that. "Do you want to see her or vi—?

"That's enough," Kratos said abruptly, turning away. "We don't have time to dwell on my past. You want to save the Chosen, don't you?"

Lloyd continued staring at his back for a moment before he said, "Yeah. Colette comes first."

"Good." Kratos waited, expecting Lloyd to go back inside.

"But you're my friend, too. So I want to help you." There was a pause, then Lloyd continued, "Is Cruxis holding her hostage or something?"

"The woman he spoke of is dead," Kratos said bluntly. "She is nothing more than a memory. She has nothing to do with our current predicament."

"'Do not speak ill of the dead', right?" Kratos turned around, surprised, as Lloyd threw his own words back at him. "That's what you told Kvar about my mom. That's why you didn't like how Yggdrasill talked about her."

Kratos didn't say anything. They stared at each other for a moment before his son spoke again.

"You know," Lloyd said thoughtfully. "I think the Professor is wrong. I don't think you're a bad guy. I just think you're really, really confused."

"Humph. Think what you like," Kratos scoffed.

Lloyd either ignored or didn't understand the tone. "I will, thanks. I'm just saying, I want to know why you worked with Cruxis. The guy we travelled with, the guy who trained me and gave me all that advice? He doesn't seem like he'd be happy to stay in Cruxis."

"I am the person you travelled with."

"And," Lloyd plowed on, "I don't think that woman would be happy if you did, either."

Kratos remained silent.

"Am I right?" Lloyd pressed. "Did your girlfriend want you in Cruxis?"

"Wife," Kratos grunted.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Wife. It is disrespectful to refer to her as my 'girlfriend,' when we were so much more."

"Wife, then." Lloyd shrugged. "Were you in Cruxis when you were married?"

"No, I wasn't." He sighed, giving himself up to the inevitable. "I wanted to keep my wife separate from Cruxis, I wanted to keep her safe, I wanted to…" He stopped and turned to Lloyd. "I failed. That's all you need to know."

"So…you've been working for the guys who killed your wife?!" Lloyd sounded stricken and Kratos felt the familiar weight of guilt on his shoulders. "How could you—?"

"We all have our circumstances," Kratos interrupted. "There are things we give up, things we keep, things we compromise on. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made, for the greater good."

"That's a pretty big sacrifice." Lloyd exhaled loudly. "Jeez. Lucky we came along, huh?"

Kratos stared at him. He was grinning, almost teasing. There was optimistic, and then there was Lloyd's world. "Lucky…?"

"Would you have left Cruxis if you hadn't met us?" Lloyd questioned.

Kratos blinked at him. _Would he?_ The thought of staying with Cruxis now, with Lloyd alive and in the world and _friends with the Chosen of all people,_ was absurd. But if he had never known Lloyd had survived?

"Lloyd," he mused, "you're surprisingly astute."

"Why surprisingly?" he grumbled. "You know, I'm not the smartest person, but I'm not the dumbest, either."

"Heh." Kratos watched as Lloyd yawned and stretched. "Go to sleep, Lloyd. It's been quite the day."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Kratos." Lloyd started to go inside, then stopped and said, "Someday, you've got to tell me about your wife."

"Lloyd."

"Seriously. Dad always told me, we keep on living through the stories that are told when we're gone." Lloyd shrugged and turned back to the inn. "You want to keep your wife's memory alive, right?"

Kratos watched his son's retreating back. Maybe…

Maybe one day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! I'm really excited about next chapter, I've already started writing it.**

 **Thanks again to everyone reading this. I hope you like it.**

* * *

Morning came, bringing with it a very determined Lloyd.

"Alright, let's hurry up! We need to meet with the king." For the first time since they'd started this journey, Lloyd was awake, dressed, and ready to go before everyone else. He was pacing around the room, anxious.

"Lloyd, calm down," Raine chastised. She was pulling on her boots, while Genis sleepily shoved his supplies in his bag. "I understand you want to save Colette. We all do. But we can't just rush in and make hasty decisions. We need to have a plan."

"We have a plan," he grumbled. "Talk to the king, get help from him to save Colette. Save Colette."

"Lloyd…" Raine sighed and Kratos put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Rash decisions lead to bad ones," he said firmly. "If you want to save Colette, listen to your teacher's advice. Slow down."

Lloyd's face twisted, almost as if he were going to argue, then he sighed, his shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I know, I know. I'm sorry, guys."

"It's alright," Raine said briskly. "We understand why you're upset. Now, let's talk about what we'll do once we get to the king."

"You will need to convince him that saving the Chosen will benefit Tethe'alla," Kratos told them. "The king's duty is to first protect his country."

"Maybe if he hears that we're going to save both worlds, he'll help us," Genis suggested.

"I think that may be our only option." Raine stood up, boots on and prepared. "Colette, right now, is worth more to them dead. We need to convince them otherwise."

Genis stood next to Raine. "I'm ready to go!"

Lloyd grinned at them. "To the palace, then!"

* * *

"Oh, Chosen, do you have any plans today?"

Zelos grinned at the woman on his right. "Ah, just my typical Chosen duties. I'm headed for the palace now."

"What about afterward?" another woman butted in. "Maybe you'd like to come over to my house."

"Oh, but Zelos, you promised me last week you'd come visit!"

Zelos was about to respond, but he was distracted by a familiar face. Not one he was pleased to see, of course, but a familiar one all the same.

Kratos hadn't changed much from the last time Zelos had seen him, several years ago when he first met Yggdrasill. The old man was still glaring around at the world as if it had personally insulted his mother. One hand on his sword, the other at his side. Suspicious and untrusting, that was Kratos to a T.

The people he was with seemed like an eclectic group. There was a little kid with more hair than head, he thought. A blond girl with a strange blank look in her eyes. (That had to be the Chosen. Yikes.) A woman whose eyes kept glancing at Kratos. And finally, next to Kratos, was teenage boy dressed in red.

Ah. Zelos could see the resemblance. Not necessarily in looks, but more in mannerisms. Both of them walked with their shoulders oddly straight and their arms at their sides. When they stopped to look around, the two stood alike, favoring their left leg and resting their left hand on their swords. It was…kind of creepy, now that he thought about it. Like a little doppleganger of Kratos himself.

Zelos shook the thoughts out of his head. "What did you say, hunny?" he asked the woman who had just spoken.

She pursed her lips. "I said, you haven't had lunch with me in almost three weeks, Zelos."

"Ah, don't get mad at me!" He grinned at her. "Look, I've been very busy recently." The group came up the stairs and Kratos stopped short. Zelos gave him a knowing look and he glared even harder. As he got closer to the group, he listened in on their conversation.

"Wow, this place is even more incredible on the inside!" The kid was staring up, wide-eyed in wonder. "Just how big is it?"

"I wonder where the castle is?" This from the teenager, Kratos' son. "I mean, all these buildings are huge."

The blonde girl kept walking, not really paying attention to where she was going. She didn't say anything, just walked in a straight line. Zelos hesitated, then positioned himself directly in front of her. Just as he thought she would, she walked right into him, nearly knocking him to the ground.

Immediately, the women around him looked aghast. "Hey, watch it!"

"Now, now, my sweet hunnies, calm down." Zelos leaned in closer to the girl. "Hi, there, my cool beauty. Are you hurt?"

The girl gave him a blank stare and said nothing. When he looked closer, her eyes had an eerie red color to them. The ladies around him bristled.

"Well! Master Zelos himself deigns to speak to this girl, and look how she acts!"

Another woman snorted. "Look at her. It's not even festival time, and she's dressed up like an angel. Can you believe the nerve of this hag?"

The two boys ran up to them, flanking the angel. "What did you just say?" the younger one snapped.

"Genis, let it go." The older boy folded his arms. "She's obviously never looked in a mirror."

Kratos and the older woman both sighed warily. "Knock it off," Kratos said sharply.

Zelos leaned closer to the blond girl. Yep, she had a Cruxis Crystal on her chest. He smiled down at her.

"Now, now, are you upset, my little angel? I'll be you're as cute as a button when you smile!"

He reached to hook his arm into hers, but she grabbed him first. Before he knew it, he found himself lifted and tossed through the air like a rag doll. He landed, on his feet, ten feet away.

Oh yeah, that was definitely the Chosen.

Zelos found himself surrounded by the ladies, fussing over him and asking if he was okay. He craned his neck to see Kratos quickly ushering the group up the stairs toward the palace. He narrowed his eyes as he watched them go.

Coward.

* * *

"But we need to see who that guy was!" Lloyd tried to turn around, but Kratos gently pushed him forward. "He was acting so weird!"

"He was such an ass!" Genis snarled. "Grinning like an idiot the entire time…"

"He had an Exsphere." Raine turned sharply to Kratos. "Well? Do you know who he is?"

Kratos nodded. "That is the Chosen of Tethe'alla."

"The Chosen…!" Lloyd's jaw dropped. " _That_ guy?"

"Then we're likely to see him again." Raine folded her arms. "Sheena said they do experiments on the Chosen's Cruxis Crystal."

"…Do you think he knew it was us?" Lloyd glanced at Colette. "He kept looking at Colette. Do you think he knows she's the Chosen?"

"I'm certain he does. He was certainly…interested in her." Raine glanced back at Kratos. "Tell me. Does the Chosen know of Sylvarant, and the two worlds?"

Kratos hesitated. "Yes…Cruxis has made an alliance with this Chosen."

Raine blinked thoughtfully. "Hmm…if I may ask…why? Surely, knowing the truth only serves to harm the organization."

"It's…complicated." When they all waited expectantly, he sighed again. "Very well, I wouldn't expect you to give up so easily. It was, essentially, an accident. Zelos—the Chosen—discovered the truth much like you did, through a combination of deduction and someone whispering in his ear. Eventually, he sought us out and struck up a deal with us. He agreed to help us politically, pushing the King's decisions toward what we wanted."

"What did he get out of it?" Lloyd interrupted. Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Well, he probably didn't do it for nothing. What did Cruxis give him?"

Kratos shrugged. "Who knows. I wasn't privy to that particular deal, so I never knew the details."

"…Hmm." Raine didn't say anything as they reached the palace, but the look she gave Kratos said that she didn't quite believe him.

* * *

"You want me to pray for the King's health?" The look on Zelos' face clearly showed his skepticism. "Are you serious?"

The Pope bristled. "You are the Chosen, the closest link we have to Martel. If anyone can help, you can."

"I mean, I can't hurt," Zelos told him. "But I think maybe doctors might be able to help him more."

"We have seen doctors." Hilda clasped her hands together. "Please, Chosen. The Church has been praying for weeks now, and nothing has happened. Surely, if you ask the Goddess directly, she will heal my father."

Hoo boy. He had to resist rolling his eyes on that one. Instead, he shrugged.

"Welp. I guess it can't hurt. After all, I can't let the beautiful princess down, now can I?" Hilda beamed under his blue-eyed gaze. "Take me to him. I'll pray for a bit."

"We have a ritual underway," an eager cardinal said. "A lumberjack will be bringing the wood to burn soon."

"Oh. A ritual. Good." Zelos actually did roll his eyes at that one, but everyone had turned away for the King's chambers. He grimaced and followed behind them. "Great."

* * *

It was Lloyd's idea to use the woodcutter to get into the palace.

Having been turned away at the door, the group headed to the Church and met a tiny, pink-haired girl dragging a log twice her size.

"Presea, right?" He grinned at her. "I'm Lloyd. This is Raine, and Colette, and Kratos, and..."

"Genis! I'm Genis!" The boy was blushing and stuttering. Raine ignored him and got right to the point.

"Please hear us out. We have a message to deliver the King. It's…it's important. It will help our friend."

The girl didn't even turn around, and Kratos felt a knot in his stomach. That silence…was not a natural silence.

"It would really help us out if we could go in with you," Lloyd pleaded. "We just need to see the king."

"…Understood."

She led them up towards the palace. Raine glanced uneasily at Kratos, but neither Lloyd nor Genis noticed anything off about Presea; or at least they didn't say anything about it.

"That girl has an Exsphere," she whispered to him. "Just how common are they in this world?"

"Exspheres are fairly uncommon on humans," he replied, keeping his voice just as low as hers. "Here, they are used mostly on machines. However…" He glanced at Presea, who was blankly walking past the guards. "…Tethe'alla does have experiments using the Exspheres. I believe that girl may be involved."

They made it inside the palace. It really hadn't changed much since the last time Kratos had been there, over a hundred years ago. Still huge and elegant, though the velvet carpet was new. He followed behind the group as they headed for the King's chambers, then turned to head for his own destination: the royal archives.

He needed information. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get away that easily.

"Where are you going?" Raine hissed. Kratos sighed and turned back to her.

"I have something else I must do. I will be in the royal archives, down the hall." He quickly glanced at Lloyd, who hadn't noticed him trying to sneak off. "If anything happens, I will be near."

Raine didn't argue, but she did purse her lips and look annoyed. "Fine. We'll meet you outside the castle."

Kratos nodded. He went down the hall, hiding in the shadows and ducking past guards. He had snuck into the royal archives before, several times, to get information he wouldn't otherwise have. It wasn't terribly difficult. He managed to make it to the room without being seen.

Well, almost.

Zelos smirked at him from the balcony above. Time to make his move.

* * *

The royal archives held all books pertaining to the ancient war. There were hundreds of them, maybe even thousands. If Raine were here, she could pore over them for days on end and still never finish. Kratos ended up searching for almost an hour to find some elusive tome that held the answers. His eyes scanned over each book, until he found one that looked promising.

"'Mana in Spirits and Organic Beings.' Perfect." He pulled it off the shelves, flipping through its well-worn pages. He finally found a section on a Ring of Transference, which sounded like it might work. He scanned the page.

" _The ring must be made of something which conducts mana in its purest form. This is so that the wearer can control the mana without having an inborn ability, as those with elven blood do."_

Kratos turned the page, frustrated. This information, while true, was not new. The only substance that would work, he knew, was aionis. He shuddered at the memory of drinking the strange potion that gave him the ability to use magic. It had burned going down, and he'd been sick as a dog for days afterward.

He skipped ahead.

" _The ring must be inscribed with runes of protection and strength. It must be carefully crafted, as any impurities in the ore will disrupt the flow of mana and cause instability. The ore must be melted down and reformed as a band."_

So. He needed some way to melt aionis.

That was a problem.

Or…perhaps it wasn't.

Hadn't they just dragged in a huge log of sacred wood? It created the holiest of fires…and the hottest. Was it possible that it could be used to melt aionis?

Kratos inhaled deeply. There was too much information, too much to parse through right here, right now, in this musty room of books.

Aionis was only found on Derris-Kharlan, Mithos had made sure of that. Right now, he had no way of getting his hands on it. He would also need to find a Dwarf with the skills to make the ring. He would be hard-pressed to find one who didn't work with Cruxis.

As Lloyd would say, gah. This was giving him a headache.

"Well, well, if it isn't my least favorite fallen angel."

Kratos turned around to see a flash of vibrant red hair. Of course. Now his headache was worse.

"Chosen. I see word travels fast." Kratos' tone was less than enthusiastic.

"Faster than you, at least." Zelos was leaning casually again the doorframe, picking at his nails. "So, ran away like a scared bunny, huh? Can't say I blame you."

"…" Kratos ignored him, eyes still fixated on the spines of the books.

"Of course, the worst part is you couldn't have had that little change of heart _before_ you decided to double cross those friends of yours." Zelos snickered. He pushed himself off the doorjamb and approached him. "They can't be too happy with you right now, huh?"

"Humph. Double cross. Hypocritical." Kratos picked up another book and started flipping through it. "You've been feeding Cruxis information about the Renegades since you were a teenager." He glanced up from his book, frowning. "And you never once mentioned Yuan's…side job."

"Hey, I had to keep something for myself. I can't go giving away all my secrets, can I?" He picked up one of the books and ran his fingers over the spine. "Hmm, doing a bit of light reading, are we? Any books I should recommend to Mithos?"

Kratos grabbed the book out of his hands. "Chosen, I really don't have time for this."

"That's cool, that's cool. I have somewhere to be, anyway. There's a pretty little blonde Chosen waiting for me to sweep her off her feet and rescue her. Oh, and it'll win me some brownie points with the rest of the group." His clear blue eyes narrowed at Kratos. "One of them looks an awful lot like you."

"Zelos." Kratos practically snarled his name. "What are you planning?"

Zelos shrugged. "Nothing…yet," he added. "I'm still weighing my options. I could join Cruxis, I could join the Renegades, I could stick with the band of misfits over there. Who knows? I'm a complicated guy."

Kratos narrowed his eyes. "Humph. You have clearly been spending a lot of time with Yuan."

"Oh, no. I've always been like this." With that, Zelos went to leave. He stopped suddenly. "Oh, and by the way," he added as an afterthought. "The guards won't be too pleased if they see you here. I'd get what you need and get out." He winked just before he shut the door.

"I'll be seeing you soon, angel."

* * *

The group was waiting outside the palace for him, not looking pleased to see them. Lloyd in particular looked cross.

"Where were you?" he demanded. "The Professor said you ditched us!"

Kratos shook his head. "I'll explain later. What happened with the king?"

"Well, we convinced them to help us." Lloyd folded his arms and sighed. "Although…we also said we wouldn't save Sylvarant."

"Lloyd, remember, we need to save Colette," Raine said. "We can worry about Sylvarant later. Right now—"

"I know, I know. I just…it doesn't feel right." He frowned at his shoes. "This feels all sorts of wrong."

"I agree," Genis said quietly. "The whole point of this journey was to save the world…and now it feels like we're abandoning it."

"You still plan to save both worlds, correct?" Kratos asked. The boys both nodded. "Then you aren't abandoning anything. Often, it is necessary to prioritize our plans. That sometimes means setting a less urgent need aside for the current situation."

Raine nodded. "Kratos is right. Now, there will be no more talk of it. We need to focus on Colette."

"I want to go home." Presea's odd, monotone voice spoke up. Genis immediately replied.

"Yeah! That's right! We need to get Presea home. Let's hurry up!"

"Wait." Raine turned to Kratos, who regarded her warily. "Don't worry, my lectures for you are over. For now. But we need to discuss something."

"What?"

"In order to save Colette, we agreed to be under surveillance. From the Chosen, Zelos." She nodded to the cathedral behind them. "He's waiting for us inside. Tell me, since you know him…does he know you?"

Kratos thought. On one hand, blowing Zelos' cover would certainly put a stop to whatever plans he had. On the other, though, revealing Zelos' alliances also ran the risk of Kratos' secret being found out. He glanced at Lloyd, who was watching him closely.

No, he couldn't let that happen.

"I don't believe so," he finally replied firmly. "Zelos and I have never met. I told you, I wasn't a party in his deal with Cruxis. Unless Yggdrasill has told him what I look like, he will not know who I am."

"Excellent." Raine nodded, pleased. "Then let's keep it that way. From here on out, you're going to be just another mercenary from Sylvarant. While we were inside the castle, you were buying supplies."

"Alright," he agreed. "Although, that means you can't interrogate me anymore."

"You don't give me many straight answers, anyway," Raine said dismissively. "Let's get going."

"Finally." Lloyd turned to the cathedral, his eyes shining with determination. "We're almost there, Colette. You'll be back with us soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm having such a great time writing this! I actually broke this chapter into two pieces, since it was getting really long. So the next chapter is actually almost finished!**

 **Thanks to everyone who is reading and enjoying my story. I hope you like reading it as much as I like writing it.**

* * *

When Martel was alive, her favorite thing to call Yuan was her "silver-tongued devil." She claimed he could talk his way out of any trouble he came across.

As he knocked on the door to Pronyma's quarters, he hoped he still had that talent.

"Lord Yuan?" The woman opened her door, surprised to see him there. "What are you doing here?"

"Pronyma. Did you collect all the aionis yet?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I have." She hesitated, then said, "Lord Yuan. I may need your assistance, as long as you're here." She stood back so that he could step inside. As she closed the door behind him, he glanced around.

He didn't know much about Pronyma, besides her love of Yggdrasill and her hatred of Kratos. And, apparently, her room wasn't going to tell him anything, either. There were no personal affects, no trinkets or tokens of affection, no photos of friends or family. Everything in her room was the blank, boilerplate furnishings that all rooms in Welgaia had. The only thing different was a white container of shimmering ore on her desk. Aionis.

So he was in luck; she hadn't destroyed it yet. "What you need help with?" he asked.

She gestured to the box on her desk. "I did collect the aionis. And I was prepared to destroy it. But…" She hesitated, then said, "I can't do it."

Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Why not? Because you think Lord Yggdrasill will need it later on?"

"No, I mean, I physically cannot do it." She picked a piece of aionis up and fiddled with it. "I have tried everything. None of my magic can touch it. I cannot figure out how to destroy it with physical means, either."

Of course, he thought, relief flooding him. She wouldn't know how to destroy it, considering she would have no need to. "Hmm. Did you ask Yggdrasill?"

Pronyma swallowed and averted her eyes. "Ah, well, he's been very…distracted lately. I'm sure he has more important matters to attend to."

Ah. She didn't want him to know she couldn't do it. "Well," he said slowly, "you aren't wrong. Though, destroying the aionis is critical." He folded his arms and shook his head. "If the Chosen's group were to get ahold of it…or, heaven forbid, Kratos himself..."

Pronyma inhaled sharply. "Oh…I'd best ask Lord Yggdrasill what I should do."

Yuan reached out and took the aionis from her hand. "Huh…well, you're right, Yggdrasill probably won't be too happy…not that he ever really is nowadays," he added. Pronyma nodded anxiously. "Hmm…you know what? I'll take care of it. You focus on finding the Chosen right now."

"Of course. I owe you my deepest gratitude, Lord Yuan." She hesitated as he picked up the container of aionis. "And…I will be certain to tell Lord Yggdrasil of my failure."

"Don't worry about it," Yuan reassured her as he headed out the door. "Nobody needs to know."

* * *

The journey to Sybak was a relatively uneventful one. Kratos and Zelos were pretending not to know each other, which worked out perfectly for the both of them. Genis was trying to strike up a conversation with Presea, who was staring blankly ahead. Raine was asking Zelos questions, mostly about what he knew of Cruxis Crystals and Tethe'alla, while he used the opportunity to flirt with her. Colette was walking beside Lloyd, blank stare on her face and marching like a puppet.

Kratos and Lloyd were at the back of group. Kratos wanted to stay as far away from Zelos as possible—for several reasons, one of which was to avoid any sort of suspicion; another was to avoid anything that would annoy him greatly. And Zelos was certainly on the top of that list right now. By the time the group reached the end of the bridge, he'd given a ridiculous nickname to each of the girls while completely ignoring the three males of the group.

"Hey, Kratos?" Lloyd glanced out over the sparkling water, where a few large ships were floating. Kratos grunted in acknowledgement. "I know this is a weird question, but…can you still train me?"

Kratos must've looked surprised, because Lloyd continued, "I learned a lot from you. And if I want to protect Colette…" He glanced over at his friend. "Well, I have to become stronger. No…I _want_ to become stronger."

"If that's what you want, I'll continue training you," Kratos said smoothly. "Though I don't intend to stay with your group for much longer. I have to head for…well, I have something I must do."

Lloyd frowned. "You keep saying that."

"…" Kratos didn't reply, so Lloyd just shrugged.

"Whatever. As long as you're here, I'll take your help. Hey, can you show me how to do some of those moves you used at the Tower of Salvation? They were really cool."

"Which ones?"

Lloyd grinned. "Like, that one where you twirl in the air. The spiral slash." He tried to mimic it, spinning in a circle.

"Light Spear," Kratos said automatically. Lloyd nodded. "Hmm. I'm not sure that one will work. It's designed for one-handed swords, you see, with your shield protecting you. It might be hard to modify for a twin sword approach."

"But can we try?" Lloyd begged. "I really want to learn that."

"If you wanna learn some swordsmanship, look no further!" Zelos had given up on seducing Raine and wondered back. He leaned casually on Lloyd's shoulder. "I'm the best swordsman in Tethe'alla. Zelos the Great Swordsman, they call me!"

"More like Zelos the Great Pain in the Neck," Genis grumbled. Zelos shot him a glare.

"You know, you're kind of a bratty kid." Zelos shrugged and moved away from Lloyd. "Whatever. If you're going to turn down the chance to get stronger, learn a few new techniques, that's your choice."

Lloyd's eyes flickered to Colette. "Wait a minute. Zelos." The Chosen raised his eyebrow and made a noise in his throat. "If it's a serious offer…I'll train with you, too."

"Alright!" Zelos clapped his hand together cheerfully. "Twice as much fun. So, old timer, you and me will teach the kid, huh?"

"Hmph. If that's what you want, Lloyd, you can learn from both of us. It would be foolish to turn away knowledge and assistance."

"Then we're golden! Oh, Professor!" Zelos wondered away, his eyes back on Raine. "Did you hear that? I'll be Lloyd's new sword teacher! I think this makes us co-workers! And, uh, you know all the stereotypes about co-workers…"

Lloyd sighed and hung his head. "Are we there yet?"

* * *

"So this is aionis." Botta held a large, rough chunk of rock up in his hand. "Incredible. And this can allow humans to use magic?"

Yuan nodded. "Kratos used this during the Ancient War, that's why he can use magic. If we manage it, any human can use the Eternal Sword. We just need to get Kratos to release the seal around Origin."

"I thought _you_ were planning on wielding the Eternal Sword." Botta raised an eyebrow. "You don't need a ring of the pact. You're a half-elf."

"…I always have a plan B, Botta." Yuan sighed and leaned against his desk. "Let's be honest: it's a very likely possibility that I won't live to see Cruxis be taken down."

"I see. If you are killed—by Kratos or Yggdrasill himself—someone else must do it." He paused, then asked, "Who did you have in mind?"

"My original back up plan was actually Zelos Wilder," Yuan admitted. Botta's face twitched. "I know what you're thinking."

"Do you truly think that would work? He's not the most trustworthy person."

Yuan snorted. "Well…that's putting it mildly. But he was the only person I thought would be strong enough to wield it, with his Cruxis Crystal." As Botta set the aionis back in the container, Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But…I'm actually starting to think that…"

"…?" Botta watched him as he trailed off. "Who else would be able to handle it?"

"Lloyd." Yuan's voice was firm, his eyes sharp and intent. "He has Anna's Exsphere, the only successful Angelus Project. He's Kratos' son, not to mention he's now been trained by Kratos, so he has the sword skills. And he is most certainly willing to do anything to save the worlds."

"Hmm." Botta folded his arms. "He may be willing to cooperate with us. Though, I doubt he would be so amenable after we kill Kratos."

Yuan shrugged. "Who knows. We have nothing to lose, though."

"That's right. We must put our effort towards the most likely outcome." Botta leaned against the desk next to Yuan. "And pray it works."

"You can waste your time praying," Yuan told him with a wry smile. "I have work to do."

* * *

"So this is the Imperial Research Academy…" Raine had a curious look on her face as she looked around the spacious entryway, as if she were trying to recall something. "Interesting."

"Chosen One!" A researcher shuffled forward eagerly to greet them. "We got word from Meltokio. Please come this way."

The group was herded into a small room cluttered with books and papers. The researcher launched into an explanation about Cruxis Crystals and Exspheres. Kratos found himself distracted, his mind wondering as he tuned out the prattling researcher.

His eyes caught a familiar broken down machine in the corner. It was old, but had been kept in good condition, considering its age. It hadn't rusted, though it had been damaged. He blinked at it, mentally working the pieces back together to repair it. It would probably take hours, but…

He could do it.

"So, she needs a Key Crest?"

He snapped back to reality at the sound of Lloyd's voice. He refocused as the researcher nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, a key crest would allow her to fully control the Cruxis Crystal."

"I wonder where we can find one…" Raine murmured. "We'd better ask around."

"You might check with some of the merchants," the researcher suggested. "Unfortunately, there aren't any in our possession."

As they started to leave, Kratos stopped. "What is that machine?" he asked, even though he knew the answer full well.

"Hmm? Oh, that's a machine that rearranges atoms. It was used in the Ancient War to strengthen certain materials. Have you ever heard of adamantite?" Kratos nodded. Behind him, Raine and—to his surprise—Lloyd both looked interested. "That's what was used to make it. Unfortunately, no one has been able to fix it. It's been here since the Academy was founded, but it's still damaged."

"Interesting." Kratos nodded in thanks as he turned away.

"Adamanatite?" Lloyd glanced back at the machine. "Is that what makes it?"

"You've heard of it?" Genis asked incredulously. Lloyd glared at him.

"Of course I have. It's scrap diamond. Dwarves use it to sharpen tools." He rubbed the back of his head. "I've never seen it, but…it's supposed to be really cool!"

"It no longer exists," Raine explained. "That machine back there is a product of magitechnology; I doubt anyone has the knowledge anymore to work it."

"Still, it would be really neat if someone ever fixed it. Dad told me that he's only seen it once, when he was kid. His dad used to use it to polish tools."

"Why were you asking about that machine, golden oldie?" Zelos gave him a sly grin as they left the Academy. "Longing for the days of your childhood?"

Kratos debated snapping Zelos' neck. Instead, he replied, "I was simply curious."

"It looked like Desian stuff," Lloyd remarked. Both Kratos and Raine turned to him in surprise. "W-what?"

"Lloyd," Raine said proudly. "That's a very good observation, especially coming from you. You have the makings of a true researcher! Tell me, have you ever considered a career in archeology?"

"Ahhh…" Lloyd quickly turned towards the merchants in the square, changing the subject. "Let's see if anyone has a Key Crest!"

Zelos was still watching Kratos as they reached the shops. "Just curious, huh?" he whispered. Kratos glared at him. "Yeah. I'll bet."

The group eventually found themselves at a junk seller, with half-broken objects piled around him. Lloyd's sharp eye caught a Key Crest, one that was worn and chipped, but good enough. Zelos, in his typical flashy and dramatic manner, managed to get them the Key Crest without any trouble or money.

"Not bad, Zelos. Thanks." Lloyd palmed the Key Crest and looked it over. "The charms are worn off, but it's still in pretty good condition. I can borrow a lab and fix it." He held the Key Crest up. "Don't worry, Colette, you'll be back before you know it!"

The group dispersed when they got to the Imperial Research Academy. Lloyd immediately started on the Key Crest, sitting in the cluttered room and focusing on the intricate work. Raine went to listen to a lecture on physics, while Zelos wondered around chatting with quiet, shy women. Presea didn't really do much of anything—she and Colette stood around, neither having the motivation to go anywhere. Genis, his voice stuttering, invited the girl to the cafeteria. She simply said, "Understood," and followed him.

Leaving Kratos with Colette.

It was strange: Kratos spent most of his life in Derris-Kharlan, surrounded by angels just like her. Yet, when he was face-to-face with someone who knew—someone who he had a fondness for, with a charming smile and a sweet, genuine kindness—he felt guilt settle on his chest.

"Come with me," he sighed. She didn't respond—not that he expected her to—but she followed him back to the room where Lloyd was.

"Hmm?" Lloyd glanced up as they entered the room. His tools were scattered around the desk. He had taken his jacket off and thrown it on the floor. "Oh. Hey, guys. What's up?"

"I didn't feel comfortable leaving the Chosen alone," Kratos explained. "I wanted to check something…if it's a bother, we can leave you alone."

"No…no, it's fine." Lloyd watched as Kratos went to the corner where the old machine was and leaned down. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to take a look at this machine," Kratos said. He pried open the cover and glanced inside at the gears and broken parts. "I think I may be able to fix it."

"R-really?" Lloyd set his tool down, interested. "Man, you're good at everything, aren't you? Swordsmanship, healing, machines…Is there anything you can't do?"

"Heh. I've…had an eclectic life." He reached into the machine and fished out a snapped-in-half gear. "My wife used to say that I was a jack of all trades, but a master of none."

"…" Lloyd turned back to the desk and the Key Crest. "I still can't believe you were married."

"Is it really so strange?" he asked. He took a page out of Lloyd's book and took his cape off, freeing his arms to work on the machine. Unlike his son, he carefully hung his on a chair. "I am not heartless."

There was the sound of scraping metal as Lloyd started sharpening his tools. "Yeah, I know that, but you never talked about her."

"…" Kratos didn't really know what to say to that, and Lloyd didn't continue the conversation. While his son went back to his work, he started taking out the broken parts of the machine and sorting through them.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence. In the rhythm of work, it was almost…peaceful. The sound of clanking tools, metal against metal, creaking and squeaking. Several hours passed, until eventually Kratos sighed in satisfaction.

All he would need was some diamond to test it with…

There was a small crash behind him. When he glanced back, slightly alarmed, Lloyd had his head in his hands. "Lloyd? Are you alright?"

"…I can't do it," he whispered. Kratos stood up and went to the desk. It looked like Lloyd had thrown the Key Crest and his carving knife across the desk and onto the floor. With his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly, he suddenly looked much older.

"I just…I don't think I can do it. The charms aren't doing anything, I'm not carving them right!" He slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "It's supposed to glow when the charms are complete. But they just…they won't!"

"Lloyd. I think you need to take a break." Kratos hesitated, then put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "It's nearly dinner time. Why don't we go get something to eat?"

"No…no, I need to finish it…" He pulled his head up. He looked stressed and Kratos frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Heh. You sound like the Chosen now."

Lloyd glanced at Colette and swallowed. "…I just want her back." His voice cracked and he started blinking back tears. Kratos felt the urge to wrap his arms around his son and comfort him.

"Lloyd, you need to go get something to eat and get some sleep." Kratos voice was gentle, but firm. "It's been a long day, you've been working for several hours now. It's nearly…what, eight o'clock? You can come back to the task later, it's not going anywhere."

Lloyd blinked. "Has it really been that long?"

"Yes. That's probably why you're so stressed." Kratos moved away from Lloyd and went back to the machine he had been working on. "I'm going to test this, then I'm going back to the inn. Leave your things here, we'll return tomorrow."

Kratos took one of the pieces of diamond that was lying among the tools. He turned away, giving Lloyd a few minutes to collect himself. He placed it in the machine and flicked it on. A few seconds later, and the diamond had turned into a clear crystal that shone, even in the dark.

Adamantite.

"…Ha. It works." He turned around and held out the diamond to Lloyd, who took it with a curious look on his face. "Now you and your father have both seen it."

"…" Lloyd stared at the adamantite in his palm. "Wow. That's amazing. I can't believe it."

"Keep it." Kratos pulled his cape on. "You'll get more use out of it, and besides, I can make more." He gestured towards the machine. "Now. Let's go. You look tired."

Lloyd was still staring at the diamond in his hand. "…Thanks, Kratos. I'll be along in a few minutes, I just want to clean up here." He smiled wanly at the older man, who glared sternly at him. "…I'll be over soon. I just need a minute."

"Very well. Do not stay long." Kratos gathered his things and started to lead the Chosen out the door. "We'll be waiting."

"Yeah." Lloyd watched them leave and sighed. "See you in a few."

* * *

Lloyd did not return that night.

Raine, Genis, Presea, and Zelos were at the inn when Kratos arrived. They waited for Lloyd, but eventually they each went to sleep. Zelos was the first to cave, flopping down on a bed and falling asleep immediately. Genis was next, drifting off to sleep in the chair he was sitting in. Raine sent him to bed and he obeyed without a fight. Finally, Raine sighed and said, "Kratos, I trust you will be awake?"

"Yes. I can go check on him." Kratos stood and grabbed his sword. "He may have fallen asleep. Or…he's still working."

"I hope not." Raine stifled a yawn. "Wake me if there are any issues."

Kratos went back to the Academy, but found that the door was closed and locked. There was no answer when he knocked, but he could hear the sounds of tools clinking together. He sighed, knowing it was a lost cause. He went back to the inn, defeated and trying not to worry about his son.

He waited all night, with the Chosen placidly standing in the corner. Presea was lying on a bed, but he knew she wasn't sleeping; her breathing was hardly audible.

Morning arrived, and still no Lloyd. It wasn't until they were all awake, preparing to go get him and drag him out, that the door opened.

"Lloyd! There you are!" Genis bounced nervously on the balls of his feet. "What happened?"

"We were worried." Raine started to chastise him, but Kratos swiftly shook his head. She forced her tone to be lighter. "You never came back last night."

Lloyd held his hand up. At first, Kratos thought he was going to punch something—the wall, perhaps, in anger—but instead, he was holding something up triumphantly. Something small and round. Something glowing. The teenager gave them a tired and haggard smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"It's finished."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! I hope you guys like it, and thanks for reading.**

* * *

The group crowded around Colette, eagerly waiting for Lloyd to put the Key Crest on. Lloyd carefully undid the latch on the chain.

"I didn't think I'd be giving you your birthday present like this," he said quietly. "I attached it to your Key Crest. It's late, but…" He hesitated, then gently placed it around her neck. "Happy birthday."

The seconds ticked by. "Colette? Can you hear me?" The girl continued to stare blankly ahead.

"She's the same," Genis remarked quietly.

"No!" Lloyd pulled the Key Crest off her neck to look at it. "Dammit!"

"What do we do now?" Genis glanced around at his friends. "Maybe…maybe the researchers at the Academy know why it didn't work?"

"Only one way to find out." Zelos shrugged. "We can ask them."

They all started to gather their things, but Kratos hesitated. "…Lloyd. You should stay here and get some sleep."

"No." Lloyd was stubborn and resolute. "I'll sleep in a little bit. After we talk to them."

"…" Kratos opened his mouth to argue, but Raine quickly shook her head at him. Lloyd turned on his heel and started picking his things up.

"He won't listen," she told him quietly. "You know what he's like."

"He's a stubborn child," Kratos muttered.

"Yes, and he's not going to stop being stubborn for the rest of his life. He's a stubborn child, he'll be stubborn adult." She sighed, glancing at her student. "There are worse things he could be."

Well. She wasn't wrong, Kratos thought. Lloyd's determination had its upsides and downsides. No one could ever accuse him of giving up.

"Let's go." Lloyd stalked past them. He looked as if he expected Kratos to argue, but instead the man just followed him out the door.

The scientists they talked to at the Imperial Research Academy were just as stumped as they were.

"Well, without actually examining her Crystal," the man explained, "we can't tell exactly why it didn't work. It may be because the Key Crest is broken, or incorrectly formed. It could be that the Crystal has already metastasized and won't respond to any treatment."

"…Metastasized…?" Kratos furrowed his brow in confusion. Raine caught the look, but didn't say anything.

"What?" Lloyd grimaced. "Does that mean…?"

"It means there isn't much else to be done," the second scientists said evenly. "We've never seen it go that far, but we theorize it is possible for the Crystal to overtake its host. Then there isn't much more we can do but wait."

Lloyd clenched his fists, but Raine questioned further. "You say you've never seen it go that far. Have you done…actual experiments on people?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" The scientists both looked aghast. "We do isolated experiments on test animals. We'd never harm any human."

"…Hmmm." She folded her arms. "Are you positive there are no human experiments going on?"

The scientists assured her there were not. She didn't look satisfied, but she said nothing further. The group left without any more information. Lloyd was still looking fairly upset.

"Well," Zelos said, stretching his arms above his head. "That wasn't exactly what we were looking for. Let's hope the eggheads are wrong, eh?"

"Zelos." Raine abruptly turned to the Chosen. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Ah, my scholarly beauty. What do you need?"

"In that room, there was a book. It was called… _Mana Signatures Among Humans._ " She folded her arms. "Do you think you can go get it for me?"

"Of course. After all, I am the Chosen." He pretended to bow and left with a flourish of his hands.

"Do you think that will have an answer, Professor?" Lloyd asked eagerly.

Raine shook her head, her eyes still on the door that Zelos had gone through. "No. But I needed to talk freely for a moment."

"Be quick." Kratos nodded. "He won't take long."

"Kratos, is what they were saying possible? Can a Cruxis Crystal metastasize to a person and cause irreversible damage?"

"Not exactly," he said swiftly. He kept his eyes on the door, watching for Zelos. "It's not the Crystal, but a disease caused by the Crystal. If it affects the Chosen, then she will eventually be overtaken by the Crystal. But she hasn't shown any signs of it…yet." His eyes flicked to Colette. "And it has nothing to do with the Key Crest."

"Hmm…interesting." Raine sighed. "I have no idea what to do. Perhaps we should find another Key Crest?"

"Oh, Professor!" Zelos swung jauntily out the door and held out the book. "Here you go. Now, for my reward, I'll take a peck on the cheek!"

"Hmm. Maybe Kratos can help you out." With that, she started walking away. Zelos made a gagging noise and ran after her.

"Ugh! You _know_ I'm not into guys!"

"Geez," Genis huffed. "That guy doesn't take _anything_ seriously."

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed. The rest of the group followed the two, catching up near the inn. "We don't have time for this. We need to figure out what to do next."

"You," Kratos said sternly, "need to rest. If we try to travel now, you'll be even more useless than you usually are."

Lloyd opened his mouth to argue, but he abruptly yawned instead. "Ugh. You're right. I'm really tired."

"I think we all need a day or two to rest," Raine said calmly. "Let's stay here and decide our next step."

"I want to go home."

They all turned. In the chase to find a cure for Colette, they had all forgotten about Presea. She was staring up at them. "I want to go home," she repeated.

"Yeah, we've gotta get the little one back to her parents. I'll bet they're worried." Zelos smirked at Kratos. "Parents, huh?"

Kratos ignored him. "Shall we head there tomorrow morning?"

Raine nodded. "That sounds like a plan. Perhaps, before then, we can figure out a solution to the Key Crest issue."

"Yeah." Lloyd sighed and followed behind her. "Sounds like…a plan."

* * *

Back at the inn, Kratos and Raine managed to coax Lloyd into taking a nap. It wasn't as difficult as anticipated; Lloyd had, apparently, reached the limit of his energy. Once he was in bed and asleep, he was out like a light. He slept until the early afternoon, practically dead to the world.

"Thank goodness he's getting some rest," Raine sighed. "I just hope his sleep schedule isn't off from now on."

"He'll be fine," Genis told her. "Remember, this is the same kid who used to sleep until noon and stay up until four in the morning."

The rest of the group took the day to relax, though there was a definite undercurrent of anxiety among them. Zelos left to wonder around Sybak, claiming he'd had enough "wholesome goodness" for the day. Genis broke open a spell book he'd bought from the junk seller and started reciting incantations to himself. Raine curled up in an armchair and delved into the book from the Academy. She occasionally hummed to herself, and finally said, "Didn't Yuan mention something about Colette's mana signature?"

Kratos, who had started digging through his pack for his own books, nodded. "Yes. Colette's mana signature is nearly identical to Martel's, which is why she is so valuable to Cruxis."

"Interesting." Raine frowned at the book in her hands. "According to this, those with similar mana signatures tend to have physical similarities. For example, a pair of humans with similar mana signatures had identical allergies. They were in an experiment and they had several other things in common, such as the same hair and eye color. Fascinating."

"That reminds me," Genis said, "Raine, why did you ask if the Research Academy was doing human experiments?"

"Hmm? Oh, right." Raine glanced at Presea, who was sitting quietly on a couch across the room. "I was curious. Surely you've noticed the…similarities between Presea and Colette?"

"Huh? Similarities?" Genis followed her gaze. "Yeah…they are kind of similar."

"She wears an Exsphere," Kratos remarked. "Do you think the Academy might have something to do with it?"

"Perhaps. There might be another explanation. The Renegades gave Sheena her Exsphere; perhaps they have something to do with Presea's."

The group grew quiet after that, falling back into their calm work. After a quick lunch of sandwiches, the return of Zelos, and some more reading, Lloyd woke up. He came out of the room, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms. He looked much better, Kratos was glad to see. He had some color in his cheeks and seemed much more alert.

And he immediately continued working on the Key Crest.

His friends kept giving him worried glances, but he ignored them. He refused all offers of food and suggestions to take a break, instead intently carving out the charms. It wasn't until Raine, at around dinnertime, physically took the Key Crest from him that he stopped.

"You aren't getting anywhere with this," she scolded. "We'll just have to try something else."

"But-!" Lloyd tried to protest, but Zelos interjected.

"She's right, bud. It could just be that this Key Crest is a dud."

"No. No, it's me. I did it wrong." Lloyd sighed and rubbed his face. "It's my fault."

"Don't think that way," Genis argued. "You're doing your best! Maybe Zelos is right. Maybe it's the Key Crest itself."

Lloyd stood up. "Maybe if I draw the charms out first…" He mumbled to himself as he went into his room, with Genis following anxiously. Raine sighed, then said, "Well...it is her necklace." She put it back around Colette's neck. The girl didn't respond.

Kratos, meanwhile, had his own obsession to deal with. The book from Meltokio he had taken was helpful, but had very superficial information. All theory, nothing concrete. Kratos wanted to know exactly what he would need for him, a human, to wield the Eternal Sword. But he needed something else.

It didn't matter if he found a way for a human to wield it. If Kratos himself was dead, there wouldn't _be_ anyone able to wield it. Yuan might be able to, but Kratos didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him. It had been a long time since the two of them had been friends.

Zelos might have been able to, if Kratos wasn't almost certain that Cruxis already had their hooks in him. But perhaps the Chosen could be persuaded.

Then there was the obvious choice. The choice his mind would not allow him to even consider, because he wasn't putting all of this on his son's shoulders. He wouldn't do that to Lloyd.

So he went to the Imperial Library and started searching for books on mana. Anything that might allow him to survive releasing Origin's seal. Even for just a few moments, long enough to reunite the worlds.

And maybe say goodbye to Lloyd…

He returned to the inn around sundown, a few books in his arms. He settled in and began to read through. After a while, he was surprised by a pair of footsteps approaching the room.

He assumed it would be Lloyd, or perhaps Zelos come to mock him some more. Instead, in walked Raine, her face set with a frown.

"I thought you weren't going to interrogate me anymore." Kratos set his book to the side. Raine's eyes flickered to it for just a second before going back to him.

"This is different. May I sit?" Raine was being much more cordial than she had recently. Kratos raised an eyebrow, then gestured to the chair next to him. "It's about Lloyd."

As she sunk into the chair, Kratos shifted uncomfortably. "What about him?"

"I can't get through to him. He keeps trying to fix this Key Crest." She clasped her hands together. "He feels…guilty, I think, and he won't accept that there might not be anything he can do."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Raine sighed. "I thought that would be obvious. Someone needs to talk to him."

Kratos stiffened. "And that someone should be…me? The traitor?"

"I can't say I'm pleased about it, either," Raine huffed. "But Lloyd will listen to you. He responds to you. He respects you, he likes you."

"He shouldn't," Kratos replied automatically. Raine's eyebrows went up in surprise and Kratos humphed. "It's the truth. I'm not really in the position to be a role model."

"All the same," she said evenly, "the two of you have bonded over this journey. I think talking to you would help him sort out his feelings. It definitely helped him when we first learned about Exspheres."

Kratos was quiet, then finally he said, "Alright. Where is he now?"

"He took a walk around Sybak," she informed him as he stood up. "Genis convinced him to get some fresh air."

"Very well. I'll go talk to him, though I'm not sure what I can say." Kratos slipped his cape over his shoulders. "I'm not exactly…the comforting type. I'm a bit too blunt. Harsh."

"Do what you can." Raine watched him leave. She sighed and headed back to her room. She wasn't sure about this.

She wasn't sure about this at all.

* * *

Lloyd was lying on his back, on the roof of the library, staring up at the stars.

He hadn't really intended to come up here: originally, he'd planned to just stick near the Research Academy, near the water. Instead, though, he had climbed up here to see if he could see the stars.

He wondered if the stars were the same in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. He could make out all the same constellations he knew by heart. His eyes traced over the familiar, comforting figures of monsters and men, heroes and villains.

There was the sound of soft shoes on brick behind him. Someone was climbing up to the roof. Lloyd sat up and glanced around, hand on his swords, ready for a fight.

But it was only Kratos. The man was climbing one-handed, as he had two steaming mugs of coffee in the other. Silently, he sat down and held one out for Lloyd.

"Thanks." Lloyd took the mug. "What are you doing up here?"

"I could ask the same of you." Kratos sat down cross-legged next to his son.

Lloyd frowned at him. "Yeah, but I asked first."

"…Your friends are worried about you." He kept his gaze steady on Lloyd. "So am I."

"Why?" Lloyd asked. "I'm fine."

"Are you?" When Lloyd didn't answer, Kratos nodded. "That's what I thought."

Kratos took a drink of his coffee. Not because he wanted to, but more to get Lloyd to do the same. The trick worked, as the teenager took a gulp of his own. "I know you want to save her, but working yourself to death will only make the problem worse."

"I know that. I just…" Lloyd turned his face away. "…Never mind. It's not important."

Kratos watched him for a moment in silence. Finally, he set down his coffee and sighed.

"Lloyd. I understand how you feel, wanting to do anything to save someone you care about. But…I also understand it from a different side. Imagine—no, you don't have to imagine."

"…What?" Lloyd asked. "Imagine what?"

"When you found out the Chosen was giving up her humanity, think of how you felt. You were guilty, angry, scared. Am I correct?"

"Yeah. You're right."

Kratos picked his coffee back up and took a drink. "Those feelings are exactly what your friends feel now. They worry for you, and they don't want to see you like this. Exhausted, refusing to eat, obsessed."

"I just want to protect her," Lloyd said quietly. "Colette is like this and…I _know_ I can help her."

"Everyone feels this urge to protect those they care about. It's ingrained in us as humans." Kratos stared out at the inky black sky. "But that same principle applies to those we care about. They want to protect us. And they want to see us take care of ourselves." He looked at Lloyd. "How many times has the Chosen told you to be careful?"

Lloyd looked down at his coffee. "…I understand. But I still—!"

"No buts," Kratos said firmly. "If you won't do it for your own sake, then do it for hers. The Chosen is always worried about you; don't add to her worries by neglecting your own health." He paused, then added, "Imagine how upset the Chosen will be if she comes back to find a cranky, tired teenager instead of her usually cheerful friend."

At that, Lloyd finally cracked a smile. "Yeah. I guess you're right." He drank the last of his coffee and sighed. "Thanks, Kratos."

"Of course." He made to stand up, but Lloyd suddenly said, "Hey, Kratos, wait a minute."

"Hmm?" Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else you wanted to ask?"

"Yeah. It's kind of stupid, but…" Lloyd hesitated, then said, "Can you just…hang out with me for a little bit?"

Kratos blinked. "Why on earth…?"

Lloyd's face got red. "Look, it's not weird, alright? I just…it's nice to talk like this. Like back during the Regeneration journey."

"…" Kratos didn't respond, but he sat down next to Lloyd and waited. "Well?" he asked. "What did you want to talk about?"

Lloyd gave him an exasperated look. "Oh, come on, don't make this awkward. Don't you ever just talk to your friends?"

"Heh." Kratos can't help but smile. Anna had often said the same thing about him, telling him he made every conversation a little bit more uncomfortable. "Yuan and Yggdrasill are the closest I have to friends."

Lloyd laughed. "Well…I guess you guys didn't get together too often for coffee, huh?"

"…We used to," Kratos said abruptly. Lloyd blinked in surprise. "A long time ago, the three of us were as close as you, Genis, and the Chosen."

"Really?" Lloyd moved so that he was crossed-legged as well, mimicking Kratos. "That's…weird to think about. How did that happen?"

"…" Kratos paused. He hadn't intended to get into this, but it wouldn't hurt to give Lloyd a bit of the story. "I was friends with a woman once. I met her when I was around your age."

"Your wife?" Lloyd guessed. Kratos shook his head.

"No, this woman was just a friend. A dear, dear friend to me." Kratos sighed, the memories flooding back. "She introduced me to her younger brother, who was just barely a teenager. He begged me to teach him to use a sword."

"Really?" Lloyd jolted up straight. "Hey, you mentioned him before! You told us that you had taught someone else swordsmanship. But…you said that…he fell into despair or something like that?"

Kratos nodded solemnly. "That was the first time I met Yggdrasill."

"Wait, you knew him when he was a kid?" Lloyd was totally engrossed in the story now. "And now he's your boss?"

"Hmph. Not anymore." Kratos sighed. "It was a long time ago, but we travelled together. I taught Yggdrasill to use a sword, and we would often talk afterwards, just like you and I do now."

"What about Yuan?"

Kratos smirked. "Heh. Yuan and I were more like you and Genis. We always used to play pranks on each other, play silly games, tease each other."

"…What happened?" Lloyd asked. "Why are you guys…?"

"Time," Kratos said simply. "We grew apart. We were still friends, and I still felt responsible for Yggdrasill as his teacher. But we weren't close. We didn't have that connection. Eventually, our relationship deteriorated and we became less friends and more…business associates."

"…That's why you stayed," Lloyd said slowly. "You wanted to help your friend."

"Hmph. Did I need another reason?" Kratos shrugged. "Either way, I wouldn't call us friends now."

"Hey, well, look on the bright side!" Lloyd grinned at him. "Now you have us!"

"…Hmph." Kratos smiled gently at him. "I suppose I do."

Automatically, his hand reached up to Lloyd's head. The gesture was familiar, an old sign of affection, ruffling his son's hair. So very long ago, on windy nights like this, looking up at the stars, Kratos had done the exact same thing. It was…comforting to Kratos.

Lloyd stiffened. He wasn't used to outright warmth from Kratos. There had been moments, like earlier, where Kratos would pat his back in approval or squeeze his shoulder encouragingly. But this was more like…

Well, it was more like something Dirk would do. _Did_ do, in fact, when Lloyd would finish a project and proudly show it off, or boast about his latest sword move.

The moment was over quickly, as Kratos removed his hand and stood up. "Um…Kratos?" The older man grunted in response, evidently just as embarrassed about what had just happened. Lloyd made the decision to ignore the strange moment, and asked something he had been wondering about for a while.

"Um…you've been to both worlds, right?"

The older man nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Then…do you know…are the stars the same in both of them?" Lloyd pointed up at the sky. "Because there are a lot of the same constellations."

Kratos looked up with him, surprised. "Hmm. Raine is right, you are fairly observant." Lloyd glared at him, but he continued, "Yes, the stars are the same. The two worlds exist on shifted dimensions, but the rest of the universe remains the same. So, the stars you see now, are also the ones you saw in Sylvarant."

"Whoa. Cool. Are the stories the same?"

"Largely so," Kratos confirmed. "Some are different, but they hold the same premise. For example, instead of Undine or Ifreet, it might be Gnome or Shadow who is the hero of the tale."

"Huh. What about the stories about Origin?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos stiffened. "There…are no stories of Origin. Not in the stars."

"The Professor told me that, too, but…" Lloyd frowned. "I'm sure of it. I remember that once, someone told me stories…" He suddenly seemed to realize who he was talking to and stopped, his face flushing. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to be weird. It's nothing. I probably dreamed it."

Kratos was staring at him, unable to speak. Was it possible…? Did Lloyd really remember those stories? Those tales from centuries ago, that had long since been lost to time, were sometimes the only stories that put his son to sleep at night.

"…Speaking of dreams," Kratos said, quickly regaining his composure. "You'd better get to sleep. Come on." He hesitated, then clapped his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Be careful going down."

Lloyd followed him to the edge of the roof. Together, they started to climb down the side of the building. The city was quiet, so still that they could hear their own footsteps echoing around them.

When they reached the inn and headed for their room—they were sharing with Zelos now—they found it empty. Lloyd shrugged.

"Whatever. He's a big boy, he'll be back." Lloyd rubbed his eyes and stretched, more interested in sleep than his newest companion.

"…" Kratos didn't say anything, but curiously glanced out the window. No sign of the red-haired Chosen. Strange.

"Hey, Kratos?" Lloyd had pulled his boots off and was sitting on the edge of the bed. His jacket had been stripped off as well, thrown aside to the corner sloppily.

"…Hmm? What is it?"

"I'm really glad you're still here." He grinned at the older man. "Are you going to stay with us?"

Kratos hesitated. Finally, he said, "I can't."

"You should." Lloyd fell back with a thump and started to curl into his blankets. "We could help you with what you need, you know. You don't have to do everything alone."

Kratos sighed. "Lloyd, go to sleep."

"Promise you'll at least think about it," Lloyd insisted, his voice muffled. "Please?"

Kratos smiled faintly as Lloyd burrowed into the blankets like a child. "…Fine. I'll consider it."

* * *

It was unusually windy around Sybak for this time of year. As Zelos leaned against one of the trees in the nearby forest, he could hear the leaves above him rustling as they moved. He narrowed his eyes as a figure emerged from the darkness. It was dressed in a cloak, the hood pulled up over the wearer's head.

"What," Zelos said flatly, "are you wearing?"

"Chosen. I see you're being your usual idiotic self."

Zelos narrowed his eyes. "You've got a lot of nerve calling me idiotic. I'm not the one who can't catch a teenage girl."

"Whatever you say." Yuan pulled down his hood. "We need to make this quick."

"What's with the Grim Reaper get-up?" Zelos rolled his eyes. "You look ridiculous. More than normal, and that's saying something."

"Just in case. Pronyma's been sneaking around, looking for the Chosen. Rodyle is up to…something ridiculous. And I suspect…well, never mind it now." Yuan held something out to him. "Here's the trap for the Chosen. Take them to the top of the Fooji Mountains and set it. We'll take care of the rest."

"Hmm. What about Kratos?" Zelos' eyes swept up to Yuan's own. "I'll bet he could break out of this in a minute."

"A minute's all I need." Yuan pulled the hood up over his head again. "Once I have Lloyd in my custody, he'll comply."

"You seem awfully sure of that." Zelos folded his arms. "What if he doesn't?"

"If you had seen Kratos after he lost his family," Yuan remarked, stepping back into the trees, "you would understand. He'll do it."

Zelos watched him go, disappearing into the shadows. He frowned as he turned the trap over and over in his hand. He wasn't quite sure: should he do it? Should he sabotage the trap? Maybe he just shouldn't plant it at all. Too many choices, none of them appealing. Pocketing the trap, he started back towards town.

This whole thing suddenly felt wrong. He didn't like this one bit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go, Chapter 7! When I first started writing this, it was just a weird idea that I didn't think would go anywhere. I really appreciate all the feedback and support you guys are giving me.**

 **Thank! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

When Zelos arrived back at the inn, he was careful. Quiet. He knew that Kratos was probably awake, sitting in the darkness of their room, like a spider in its web, just waiting…

"Hello, Chosen."  
To give him a damn heart attack.

"Geez!" Zelos reached over and clicked on the light. Kratos was sitting in a chair several feet away from the beds. A lump of blankets he assumed was Lloyd was in the left bed; the right was empty. "What the hell?!"

"Be quiet." Kratos' voice was soft, but firm and commanding. "Or do you want to have to explain to Lloyd where you've been "

"Heh. That is true." Zelos flopped down on the empty bed. "So. Did you have some fun bonding time?"

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'play foolish games, win foolish prizes?'" Kratos asked.

"I can't say I have."

Kratos stood up and started to walk toward Lloyd's bed. "…My wife used to say it."

Zelos watched him as he gently brushed his gloved hand against the spikes of brown hair that poked out from under the blankets. It was a surprisingly affectionate gesture. "Oh, yeah? You calling me a fool?"

Kratos abruptly turned to him. Any gentleness he had was gone now, replaced by a fierce protectiveness. "Yes. Yes, I am." Kratos leaned over the bed, towering over Zelos. "I don't know who you're playing these games with—Yuan or Yggdrasill—but I'll make myself clear. If anything happens to Lloyd, you will not live long enough to see any prize, foolish or otherwise."

Zelos put his arms behind his head, a plastic grin on his face. "Overprotective, are we?"

"Call it what you will."

Zelos' eyes tracked the man as he turned and walked away. Nothing more was said; there was nothing more to say. Kratos sat back in the chair and kept his dark eyes trained on his son. Zelos rolled on his side and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Lloyd was woken up in the morning by a very loud, very exuberant roommate shouting in his ear.

"Time to wake up!" Zelos was grinning from ear to ear. "My wonderful hunnies await!"

"Ugh." Lloyd stretched and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Around ten. Pretty late, but the lovely Professor and the old man insisted that you needed some extra sleep." Zelos winked at him from across the room. "Let's, uh, let's pretend you woke up naturally, huh?"

"Yeah. Whatever." Lloyd slid out of his bed. "Hey…where is Kratos anyway?"

"Hmm? Oh, he probably went to go glare outside." Zelos made a distasteful face. "Not very friendly, is he?"

"He's…" Lloyd hesitated. He didn't really know how to explain it. Finally, he settled on, "Kratos just…doesn't like to talk. He's okay when you get to know him."

"Ha. I'll take your word for it." Zelos shrugged. "They're probably hanging around in the city. I got tired for waiting for your sleepy butt to get out of bed."

Lloyd shrugged his jacket on and quickly snapped on his suspenders. He got dressed quickly, already anxious to get the day started and their next steps planned out.

When he and Zelos were ready to go, they trooped out into Sybak to search for their friends. It didn't take them long to find the group, who were hovering near the market stalls, browsing the shop's wares.

"About time!" Genis called when he saw them. "We thought you might never wake up."

"Shut it, Genis!" Lloyd hesitated, then turned to Colette. "Still no change?"

"No," Kratos confirmed. "She's the same."

"So now what?" Zelos asked. He didn't acknowledge Kratos as he passed him. "What's our next move?"

"I've been thinking about that." Raine rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "The Imperial Research Academy has done extensive experimentation on the Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals. However, they have done no human testing. Their ability to help us is severely limited."

"So?" Lloyd frowned. "What does that mean? We can't just give up!"

"We won't," Raine said firmly. "But we need to consider the next logical step. Who else has a higher knowledge of how these objects work?"

"Hmm." Kratos nodded in understanding. "The only people who truly understand the nature of Exspheres, Cruxis Crystals, and Key Crests are…well, the ones who made them. Dwarves."

"Exactly. I was thinking, perhaps we could ask Dirk for help," Raine suggested. Lloyd's eyes lit up. "He is the only dwarf that I've ever met."

"Yeah! Dad'll know what to do!"

"But Dirk is in Sylvarant," Genis interjected. "And the Rheairds are out of fuel, remember?"

Lloyd's eyes flickered to the Academy nearby. "Maybe one of the scientists knows how to get them working again."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zelos held up both his hands. "Wait just a minute! I'm here to keep tabs on you guys! I can't just let you go back to Sylvarant."

All the eyes turned to him. Lloyd shrugged and said, "Well, just come with us, oh compassionate Chosen one."

Zelos made a disgusted noise in his throat. "Are you serious?"

Kratos humphed and folded his arms. "I thought you wanted to save the Chosen."

"Right," Raine agreed. "You said you'd do anything to help a pretty girl."

"It can stay just between us," Genis said cheerfully. "We'll be back before anyone even notices! You'll keep quiet about it, right?"

"Ugh…how am I supposed to snitch after hearing something like that?" Zelos slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Fine."

"So it's settled!" Lloyd clapped his hands together. "All we need now is fuel."

There was the rattle of iron armor. At first, they thought it was simply a set of guards passing; however, they abruptly grabbed Lloyd and Zelos, pinning their arms to their sides.

Another set of guards grabbed the rest of the group.

"Chosen. We heard what you just said." Zelos grimaced as the guards jostled him. "We hereby declare you and your companions traitors, who are attempting to destroy Tethe'alla!"

"Good timing, Mr. Papal Knight," Zelos said. "Why don't I think that was a coincidence?"

"It's by the Pope's orders. To catch you plotting against the throne."

"That's rich." Zelos rolled his eyes. " _Me_ plotting against the throne? Sounds like someone's projecting."

"Enough. Restrain them and take a sample. Don't touch the girl."

The guards made quick work of handcuffing them all. After they were all incapacitated, the guards pulled out a small silver syringe. Lloyd flinched as they pricked the group with needles. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Blood testing, it appears," Kratos grunted. The guards took a sample from him as well.

"It's because of the caste system here," Zelos explained. "All criminals go through it. Some half-elves look just like normal humans or elves."

Kratos' eyes flickered to Raine and Genis. The guards suddenly gripped the two of them tighter. "S-sir! We found a match!"

"Genis? Professor? What is he talking about?" Lloyd squinted in their direction. "Are you two…?"

Genis looked away, ashamed, but Raine held her head up defiantly. "…There's no use hiding it now, I suppose."

"Raine!" Genis looked at her, but she ignored him.

"Yes, Genis and I are half-elves." She sighed. "This whole time…we've been lying to you."

"These filthy half-breeds have been engaging in shameless caste deception." The guards began to handcuff both Genis and Raine. He certainly wasn't gentle with them, snapping the metal tightly around their wrists.

"What did you call them?!" Lloyd made a noise in his throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "The Professor and Genis are good people! Who cares if they're half-elves?"

"Look, maybe in Sylvarant, things are different," Zelos explained, "But here, half-elves are the lowest caste."

"All half-elves guilty of a crime are executed, with no exception." The guard snorted out of his nose at Lloyd's shocked face.

"That's crazy!"

The Papal Knight ignored him. "We'll need to escort the half-elves away first. They need extra guards, so we'll all have to take them." He eyed the rest of the group. "As for the Chosen…it's not as if he can run away without being found. Everyone knows his face. Just…lock them up in the Academy or something until we can call for reinforcements."

"Wait. Wait!" Lloyd struggled against the guards as they started to drag him away. "Genis! Professor!"

Genis and Raine were turned away, frog marched by the guards around them. Genis had the faint sparkle of tears trailing down his face. Raine's face was a stoic, blank one, but her hands were shaking as the guards led her out of the city. The people around them—scholars and tourists—were gasping in shock and watching them. There were hushed whispers and accusatory eyes.

The rest of the group was handcuffed and hustled into the Academy by two guards. They pushed the group into the basement, where several young researchers were working. Young, half-elven researchers.

"Hmph." One of them, a young woman with dark green hair and glasses, was giving them an accusatory look. "Criminals. If you had the good fortune to be born human, you shouldn't throw it away like that."

"We didn't do anything," Lloyd argued.

"Well…you were trying to go back to Sylvarant," Zelos pointed out.

"Sh-shut up," Lloyd said, blushing.

The woman was ignoring their bickering, however, her eyes suddenly transfixed on Presea. She moved forward with her hand outstretched. "…Are you…?"

"Get away." Presea turned away, her back to the researcher. "Get away."

"I knew it! You're Presea." The woman pulled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Wait, you know Presea?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course," Kratos breathed. "Human experimentation. Raine's hunch was correct. The Academy gave Presea her Exsphere."

"Not…exactly." The woman shifted, then sighed. "It wasn't the Academy's research."

"Interesting." Zelos rubbed his chin. "How does a half-elf lead their own research? I thought the half-elves in the Imperial Research Academy were never allowed to leave their labs."

"What? That's insane!" Lloyd opened his mouth to say something else, but Kratos shook his head at the boy.

"Let's focus on the issue at hand. What experiments were you and your team doing on Presea?"

"…" She looked away. "We were trying to create a Cruxis Crystal in her body. We could allow an Exsphere to feed on a human body and—"

"And create a Cruxis Crystal," Kratos breathed. "That's…"

"That's the same way the Desians made Exspheres!" Lloyd gave her a disgusted look. "How can you treat people that way?!"

"Me?" The woman glared at him, furious and indignant. "I could ask you the same thing! How can you treat half-elves the way you do?"  
"I treat them the same way I do anyone else!" Lloyd shot back. "They're exactly the same."

The half-elf didn't have the chance to argue back, because a familiar voice echoed through the room.

"He's not from Tethe'alla."

"Sheena?" Lloyd glanced around as a cloud of smoke appeared. Sheena and Corrine both stepped out. "Hey! How did you—?!"

"I'll explain later." Sheena moved quickly, undoing the cuffs around her friends' wrists. "Genis and Raine are being taken to Meltokio. We can still catch up and save them."

"Are you planning on leaving?" The scientist asked.

"Are you planning on stopping us?" Sheena challenged.

There was a moment of silence, before Kratos said, "We are going to save our half-elven friends. Do you truly intend to try to stop us?"

"…I won't be tricked," she said stubbornly. "There's no way humans and half-elves can get along."

Lloyd frowned, annoyed. "Look, we don't have time to argue about it. If you don't let us go, then we'll just have to fight you and bust out."

"Well…" Kate hesitated. "Fine. I'll make you a deal. Bring your friends back here after you've rescued them. If you do that…then I'll release Presea from her experiment."

Kratos' eyes widened. "You can do that?" he asked harshly. The others all turned to look at him. "Reverse the effects, you mean?"

Kate nodded. "Yes. I know of a way. After all…it was my research."

"Lloyd, do you know what this means?" Zelos turned to the teenager.

"Um…not really?"

"It means," Kratos explained patiently, "that the Chosen's affliction may have the same solution. If Presea can be released from her state…"

"Then Colette can, too!" Lloyd snapped his fingers. "I get it."

"Took us a while," Sheena grumbled. "Raine must have the patience of a saint."

"Then we can help both of my lovely girls," Zelos gushed. Neither of said girls gave him any notice.

Kate walked over to the bookshelf nearby. "Here. There's a secret passage to get out. You can go through there."

As they started through the door, Zelos stopped for a moment.

"Kate. By whose order was the experiment on Presea carried out?"

"Huh?" Lloyd glanced back. "Why do you care?"

Zelos ignored him. "Well? Who?"

"…" Kate turned away. "I can't say."

Zelos snorted derisively. "The Pope, then."

"Let's hurry," Kratos said firmly. Lloyd thanked Kate and they left, sneaking out into Sybak and after their friends.

* * *

When they were taken out of Sybak, the Sage siblings were chained up. The guards put shackles on their ankles, so that they could still walk, but not run. Raine noticed that the guards were shooting the two of them strange looks; they almost seemed...afraid of the siblings.

They were marched towards the Tethe'alla Bridge in silence. Raine glanced down at her brother and sighed.

This had been exactly what she had spent many years trying to avoid. She had lied, easily and flawlessly, to protect the two of them. They had arrived in a world of prosperity, only to find that prosperity only eligible for humans.

Not that she was surprised.

"Raine," Genis hissed, his head still down. "What are we going to do?"

Raine shifted in her chains. "Let my brother go," she ordered the guard. "He had nothing to do with this. He's just a child, I led him into it."

"Raine!" Genis cried.

"Silence, half-elves!" The guard turned around. "You have both been involved in treasonous acts. You will face the same punishment."

"But he didn't do anything," Raine argued. "He begged us to stay home! He is innocent."

"Hey!" Genis said, but Raine talked over him. "She's lying! I'm just as guilty as she is."

"Genis, stop! There's no reason to lie for me!"

"Enough!" Another guard from behind them cut their voices off. "It is not your place to claim innocence. You are traitors to Tethe'alla, filthy half-elves who want to see our world crumble." Raine sighed as he prodded them forward. "Now move."

The world hated them. Even after all those lies, all those secrets…that fact never changed.

* * *

As Lloyd was leading the way to the Tethe'alla Bridge, he suddenly felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"Lloyd," Kratos began. He glanced around. Sheena was currently arguing with Zelos over something silly he had said. Neither of them were listening to the two swordsman. "Are you sure about this?"

Lloyd shot Kratos a glare. "Sure about what?"

"About rescuing them. After all," he said hesitantly, "they are half-elves."

"So what?"

Kratos snorted. "So? The Desians are half-elves, as well."

Lloyd was silent. Finally, he said, "The Professor and Genis aren't Desians. They're…not the same." He looked up at Kratos. "You told me once, on the regeneration journey, that blind hatred breeds more hatred. Did you really mean that?"

Kratos gave a swift nod. "I did."

Lloyd nodded back and clenched his fist. "Then you understand. It doesn't matter what their race is, they're my friends, and I'm going to help them!"

Kratos almost smiled, as if Lloyd had passed some hidden test. "Good. Then let's hurry on."

Lloyd stared at him. "Kratos, you're so weird."

"Hmph. Maybe I am." He glanced back at Sheena and Zelos. "We need to hurry. The bridge is a drawbridge, correct?"

Sheena nodded. "Yeah. If they raise the bridge, we'll never reach them in time."

"Well, we better hustle." Zelos pointed ahead. "Because I have bad news."

The guards had reached the other side of the bridge. As they watched, the bridge began to lift. They started to run.

"We won't make it!" Sheena panted.

"Then we'll just have to jump it!" Lloyd shouted. "Come on!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Zelos grabbed Lloyd's shoulder and yanked him back. "Are you kidding? We'll die if we fall from here!"

"And if we abandon them, they'll die too!" Lloyd broke his grip and started to run.

"Lloyd!" Kratos shouted, trying to call him back. The boy ignored him, so Kratos ran after him. He heard the girls behind him follow, and Zelos sighed before trailing behind them. "Lloyd, stop!" Lloyd took a running leap off the edge of the bridge, and Kratos followed suit. "Lloyd!"

He watched as it hit his son, his eyes widening in fear as the realization came over him that he wasn't going to make it across the gap. "Ahhh!"

"Lloyd!" Kratos almost brought his wings out, the consequences be damned, before he heard Sheena's voice behind him.

"Undine, help!"

The powerful feeling of mana swirled around them and pushed them up into the air, over to the other side of the bridge. Kratos sighed in relief as he landed, softly and safely, next to Lloyd.

"That was the most reckless thing you've ever done," he began, but Lloyd ignored him to turn to Sheena.

"Thanks, Sheena!"

"Whew, yeah, I thought I was a goner." Zelos grinned. "Good thing my voluptuous babe saved us!"

"I'm just glad I made a pact with Undine," Sheena sighed. "Also, not your babe!"

Presea interrupted them, her soft voice almost drowned out by the nearby armor of the Papal Knights. "Excuse me. Professor Sage and Genis are…"

"Right!" Lloyd turned to face the Knights, then hesitated when he saw Kratos' stern glare. "Yell at me later, okay? Right now, we have to save them." He rounded on the Papal Knights for a fight.

It was quick: the Knights, for all their bluster, were mediocre fighters compared to the party. As the last Knight fell, Lloyd ran to the Sage siblings. "Genis! Professor! Are you guys alright?"

Sheena ran to undo the chains on Genis, while Lloyd started picking the lock on Raine's. "Lloyd! Everyone!" The half-elven boy tossed his binds aside and ran them, grinning. "You guys saved us!"

"You…came for us. You rescued us." Raine swallowed. "I can't believe it."

"Of course we rescued you! You're our friends!" Lloyd folded his arms. "We weren't just going to leave you guys behind."

"But…" Genis' eye widened. "We're half-elves!"

"So?" Lloyd shrugged. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"What of the Tethe'alla side of our group?" Raine asked. "Do you mind if we continue on the journey?"

"I'm from Mizuho," Sheena explained. "I'm…a little bit of an outsider, too. I can't really say I'm going to discriminate against you guys."

"I just want to go home," Presea said softly.

"Huh. Well, I can't say I'm really kosher with this," Zelos began. "I've been taught all my life that half-elves are filthy, evil creatures. But, then again, everyone has treated me differently, just because of my birth. We're a little bit alike, I suppose, so…I can keep an open mind."

"Zelos!" Lloyd turned around to snap at him, but Kratos shook his head.

"Prejudice is not a war won overnight." He folded his arms and sighed. "The Chosen says he will keep an open mind. That's the first step in having it changed."

"Whoa, look at the old man, defending me." Zelos gave him a wry smile. "Either way, I can see that Genis and Raine are good people, so I won't really treat them any differently than I would anyone else."

Raine nodded. "Alright, then." She glanced over at Sheena. "By the way…what are you doing here?"

"Ah, I have new orders from my chief." Sheena smiled lightly. "I am to observe your activities. I'm here to watch you guys!"

"Watch us do what?" Genis asked. "What are you supposed to report back?"

"Um…well…" Sheena blushed and turned away. "I don't really know. It's just that…"

"This is typical of Mizuho," Zelos interrupted. "They're trying to decide if they want to side the King or you guys."

"Well, it doesn't really matter," Lloyd said cheerfully. "Everyone's back together, so now we can move forward. We just need to get the Rheairds working and we can go to Sylvarant."

Kratos shifted on his feet. "If Sheena is joining us, then we have our solution." He turned toward the summoner. "If you make a pact with Volt, we will have the fuel required to get the Rheairds working again."

"V-Volt?" Sheena visibly flinched and Kratos cocked his head curiously. "I mean…why Volt? If we just need mana, can't we go to…I don't know, Gnome or something? Or we could use Undine!"

"Hmm…" Raine blinked and rubbed her chin. "Volt is the only summon spirit who could convert the mana into energy. I'm afraid no other summon spirit would do."

"Well, we don't have to go chasing after Volt yet," Zelos said breezily. "We should probably go get the Rheairds first. Volt's temple is all the way across the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, we can't make it across there now."

"And how are you planning to pick up the Rheairds?" Lloyd questioned. "They're huge!"

"Ha. You have no faith in me. I happen to have a little trick up my sleeve, just for occasions like this." Zelos stretched his arms up. "Just trust me."

"Well…alright." Lloyd shrugged. "It's not like we really have any choice."

"Okay, then!" Zelos gestured dramatically as he started to walk away. "To the Fooji Mountains!"

* * *

The group stopped to set up camp as it got dark, about halfway to the Fooji Mountains. It was a routine, so familiar from the Regeneration Journey that the Sylvarant team was like a well-oiled machine. With a roaring campfire, dinner made, and the bedrolls set up to sleep, Kratos took a moment to himself. He snuck away while the group was chatting, walking through the darkness. There was whine behind him; Noishe had followed.

"Hmm. Noishe, you needn't be worried about me." He reached over to scratch behind the animal's ears. "I'm fine. I simply needed some time alone."

Another whine. Clearly, Noishe was not convinced.

"Very well. I suppose your companionship is appreciated."

The pair walked together in the moonlight. Kratos eventually stopped in a clearing and sighed. He could see Meltokio, its light shining through the night sky and blocking out the stars. Kratos just stood there, petting Noishe and thinking.

After a while, there was a noise behind him. Footsteps, and the sound of twigs cracking.

Kratos sighed without even turning around. "Lloyd. I told you not to stand behind me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Lloyd grumbled. "You always know it's me, anyway."

"Heh. That's true." Kratos turned to look at him. "What do you want?"

"You disappeared. We were worried about you."

Kratos glanced at Noishe. "Ah. You shouldn't be worried, I apparently have a guard dog." Said dog whined and rubbed against Kratos' hand.

"Geez, Noishe, show a little loyalty." Kratos almost laughed as Lloyd walked over and Noishe licked his face. "I even gave you extra dinner tonight."

Kratos watched as Lloyd wiped his face off with his sleeve. "It is getting late. We should head back."

"Yeah. You shouldn't go wondering off alone, though, you never know what might happen."

How ironic, Kratos thought. His son chastising him as if he were a misbehaving child. "I will be fine."

"Well, whatever." They started to walk back, Noishe in between them. "I was just…you know, worried that…" Lloyd fidgeted a bit, running his fingers through his hair nervously. "…You just seemed…"

Aha. "You were worried I had left," Kratos finished for him. "For good."

"…Yeah." They fell quiet again, the only sound their footsteps in the soft grass. Lloyd broke the silence again.

"Can I ask you something?" Lloyd looked up at him and Kratos nodded his assent. "You said you were friends with Yggdrasill and Yuan. The two of them are half-elves, right?"

"…Yes. We were friends in a time that was…much worse for half-elves."

"Wait, really?" Lloyd sounded so naïve in that moment, having never really faced prejudice before. "How much worse could it be?"

"Hmph. When I was young, half-elves were considered to be lower than animals. They were feral and beastly." He was quoting his own memories now, of people long ago. "I myself was ostracized for associating with them. That's how bad it was."

"Really?" Lloyd looked at him suspiciously. "Hey…how old are you anyway?"

Kratos stiffened. "Why do you ask?"

"You talk like that was a long time ago, but…you're in your twenties, aren't you?"

"I'm older than I look," Kratos conceded. "But it doesn't matter. The way that half-elves are treated hasn't changed much over history."

"It's sad," Lloyd remarked. "I mean, Cruxis, the Desians, the humans and the Pope…why do they all have to hate each other?"

"Hmph. You should go visit the elven village sometime. It's infuriating." Kratos rubbed Noishe's head and he whined. "Elves believe that half-elves are diluting and polluting their race. And unlike humans, they're very much set in their ways."

Lloyd was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Do you think the world will ever be accepting?"

Kratos opened his mouth to say no, but he stopped. He walked here, next to Lloyd: raised by a dwarf and willing to leap off a bridge for his half-elven friends. If ever there was proof it could happen…here it was.

"As I said earlier," he finally replied. "Acceptance is not a going to happen immediately. It will take a thousand battles to turn the tide. It can happen, but…it will take work."

"Well, you know what my dad would say," Lloyd said with a grin. "Dwarven Vow #1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world."

"Heh. Well." Kratos sighed and looked up at the stars above. "Here's hoping."

* * *

Zelos had been put in charge of gathering firewood to stockpile, which was good, because he needed to clear his head.

There was something about these guys…something endearing, in a way that no one else was.

Zelos shook his head, as if he could shake the confusing thoughts away. It was simple: he just needed to decide who had the best odds. These guys certainly didn't.

Still…when he thought about betraying them, Zelos felt a knot in his stomach. And that damn trap that Yuan had given him was still in his pack, feeling heavier with every passing minute. He pulled it out and looked it over again, running his fingers along the smooth metal. He didn't even know how it worked; what if it hurt one of them? Geez, what if it _killed_ one of them?

His head snapped up as he heard voices. Of course: the old man and the kid had wondered off for some more late-night chats. He huffed out a breath of air and quickly hid the trap back into his pack.

"…just saying, my dad is an awesome craftsman. He can make _anything._ He even made my clothes!"

"That's…Lloyd. I have no doubt that Dirk is good at crafting, but…"

"…But what? Wait…are you saying my clothes are ugly?!"

The two of them came into view and Zelos quickly plastered a wide grin to his face. "Heh. I won't speak for the old man, but I can speak for myself. Bud, you need to get some new clothes. Monochromatic is so last year."

Lloyd glared at him. "What? My clothes are awesome! Have you seen the suspenders?"

" _Everyone_ has seen the suspenders." Zelos laughed as Lloyd's face turned red. "Hey, to each his own. I guess if you like walking around looking like a human tomato, that's fine."

"…Ew." Lloyd scrunched up his nose. "Well, I like them anyway. Zelos, what are you doing out here?"

He pointed to a small pile of twigs and branches. "Firewood. Just in case it dies down in the middle of the night."

"Do you need any help?" Lloyd asked.

Zelos shook his head. "Nah. Just about finished, anyway."

Kratos narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but Lloyd—so trusting—didn't even blink an eye. "Okay. Come on, Kratos, if we get back quick, maybe there will be some leftovers!"

Lloyd took off in the direction of camp. Kratos shot one last meaningful glare at Zelos. Zelos shrugged and muttered, "I'm behaving, dad, don't worry."

"…" Kratos started to walk after Lloyd, who was calling for him. Zelos watched his back disappear into the darkness before pulling Yuan's trap out of his pack again. His finger caught a piece of metal that seemed like it was attached to the inside parts. It was thinner than the outer metal and seemed more delicate. He wondered what its function was.

There was a sharp _snap!_ and Zelos held the piece of metal in his hand, leaving a few wires now exposed. He wasn't sure what it did, but it seemed important. He tossed the broken part aside. "Oops."

He stuffed it back into his bag. In the back of his mind, a voice said _what the hell are you doing_. And the truth was…

Well, he didn't really know what the hell he was doing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again! Sorry it's been a while: I kept adding things to this chapter, and it sort of...snowballed. Literally nothing in this chapter is what I originally wrote it as.**

 **But you don't care about that! Instead, here's the story! I hope you enjoy reading it, and thanks to those who have stuck around so far.**

* * *

Travelling up the Fooji Mountains was a much more arduous task than climbing down. If you listened to Lloyd, it was an almost impossible feat.

"Ugh, my legs hurt," Lloyd grumbled for at least the third time. Kratos rolled his eyes. "There has to be an easier way to get up here."

"What did you expect, an elevator?" Genis snarked. Lloyd glared at him.

"Shut it!"

"Quit whining." Kratos nodded towards the summit of the mountain. "We're nearly at the top."

"Finally." Behind him, Zelos sighed dramatically. "I'm not sure this whole journeying thing is for me."

"Then go home," Genis replied. "Geez, you guys are babies. Triet was worse than this, all that sand…"

"Not to mention the Ossa Trail," Sheena added. "Trap doors do not belong on a mountain pass."

"Those damnable washtubs," was all Raine muttered.

"Ugh. Sounds terrible." Zelos shrugged. "I'm a city boy myself. Camping, boating, climbing…not for me."

They reached the top of the mountain and started looking around at the Rheairds. There were some that were broken: cracked wings and crushed metal. Zelos leaned down to examine them.

"Alright, Zelos. What's your plan?" Lloyd followed him over to the broken machines. "How are we going to carry these?"

"I'll show you. Over here, everyone."

He started to go around them, near the edge of the mountain. The rest of the group followed, except for Colette.

"…Hmm?" Kratos glanced behind him. The Chosen had turned and was fixedly staring at the rock off to the side. "Chosen?"

"What's up, you guys?" Lloyd turned back as well, but before anyone could say anything else, a light flashed. An orange beam of mana appeared around them, trapping them in. Colette was the only one left outside of it, still staring at the rocks.

Behind which Yuan was hiding.

"You fools fell right into my trap." Yuan jerked his hand at one to the soldiers behind him. "You. Retrieve the Rheairds." He stalked closer, his bright eyes focused on the boy in red. "I have you this time, Lloyd. You're just as slippery as your mother was."

"Don't you talk about my mom, you bastard!" Lloyd glowered from inside the trap, but Yuan didn't seem bothered. He turned to Kratos, who had his hand on his sword and absolute fire in his eyes.

"And you, Kratos. I've been wanting to have this conversation with you for a long time." Ysmirked at him, cold and without any humor. "I warned him that you would betray Cruxis again. And how right I was: the loyal lapdog, broken at Yggdrasill's feet, has suddenly become a wolf, eager to bite." Yuan stopped as something appeared in the sky. "What the hell is that?"

The object came closer, revealing a woman clad in gold, form fitting armor. She had some kind of ring around her, giving her defense like a curtain. Yuan swore under his breath.

"Pronyma," he snarled as she landed. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"Lord Yuan. What brings you do this place?"

"I could ask you the same, Pronyma!" Yuan said indignantly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hmm? Do you not recall?" She gave him a confused look. "I'm here on Lord Yggdrasill's orders. I am to retrieve Colette."

Yuan didn't argue. "Fine. But I'm taking custody of Lloyd and Kratos. Agreed?"

Pronyma raised an eyebrow. "I thought Lord Yggdrasill ordered us to leave them alone for now."

"Yggdrasill orders _you_ around, Pronyma, not me." Yuan gestured to Colette. "Take the Chosen and go. I'll worry about Yggdrasill."

Pronyma didn't look convinced, but she went to Colette anyway. Lloyd reached out towards his friend, but his hand was blocked by the trap. "Colette! Don't go!"

"A futile effort." Pronyma laughed, clear and cold and cruel. "Your words cannot reach a Chosen who has lost her soul." Her eyes spotted the Key Crest, dangling from Colette's neck. "What is this ugly little thing?"

Her thin fingers gripped it and started to pull it off. Before she could, however, Colette's hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. "What?!"

"No!" Colette snatched the necklace out of Pronyma's hands as she shouted. "This is a birthday present from Lloyd!"

There was a collective intake of breath from the group. Genis was the first one to recover. "Colette…spoke!"

"Colette!" Lloyd's face broke into a wide grin as his friend turned around. Her eyes, previously a dull red, had resumed their former bright blue. "You're back!"

"Impossible!" Yuan was staring at her, as was Pronyma. "There's no way that pitiful Key Crest could control the Cruxis Crystal!"

"It doesn't matter," Pronyma said dismissively. "I'll remove it later. Come with me."

As she reached out to grab Colette, the Chosen pulled her weapons out. The chakrams sliced against Pronyma's hand, causing her to recoil in pain. Colette herself backed up a few feet. There was a loud _crack!_ and the trap around them disappeared.

"Oh…oh, no, I broke it!" Colette had stepped on Yuan's contraption.

"Alright! Nice job, my cute Colette!" Zelos grinned as Lloyd went to her and helped her up. "Getting us out of traps already."

Lloyd hauled his friend into a bear hug. "Colette!"

"Lloyd! Lloyd, I'm so happy!" She squeezed him back. "Thank you for the present! I wanted to say thank you, but I couldn't."

"Behind you!" Kratos readied his sword as Pronyma came at them. Colette bodily shoved Lloyd to the ground and threw her chakrams at the woman. They missed, but it left enough of an opening for Kratos to attack. Lloyd was on his feet quickly, one step behind Kratos as he attacked.

"You impudent fools!" Pronyma shrieked. She was blasting them with dark magic, but both swordsmen dodged the attacks. "Prepare to die!"

"She's weak to light!" Raine stepped forward, already conjuring a spell. "Colette!"

"Right!" Colette spun around, a bunch of pink feathers swirling around her. "Angel Feathers!"

"Photon!"

As the light spells hit Pronyma, so did Lloyd and Kratos. Well timed slashes, one after another, until they managed to break her guard. She leapt back like a wounded animal, but Kratos closed the gap quickly to attack. Raine had another spell ready, unleashing it just as Kratos pulled back.

Their attacks were coordinated, light spells and physical attacks working in tandem to keep her from casting spells. Eventually, she fell, unable to fight anymore.

"Gah…you little worms!" She was on her knees as Kratos approached her, ready to end it. Pronyma eyed the gleaming edge of his sword and grimaced. "Fine…you win for now. She's useless anyway." Before he could get to her, she teleported away, vanishing in a whirl of darkness.

"…Useless?" Colette blinked at the spot where she had been. However, she didn't have time to dwell on the woman's words, as Lloyd started speaking.

"Yuan! Let's settle this once and for all." He raised his swords, but Kratos quickly stepped between them. "Kratos!"

"This can wait. We have more important matters to attend to." The man's eyes slid to Yuan. "Well? Are you planning to fight us, with no back up beside some footsoldiers?"

"Sir!" Several of the Renegades stepped forward, ready to fight. Yuan frowned, then gestured for them to stand down.

"A truce for now. Just remember, Lloyd, we're not done here." He nodded to the men around him. "Get the machines. We'll retreat back to the base."

"Grr…" Lloyd glared at him. "What do you want with me?"

"In due time. I daresay we'll meet again soon." With that, Yuan led his troops back down the mountain, while Lloyd watched him go.

"He knows something about my mother," he whispered. Kratos stiffened.

"He's playing on your weak points," he said quietly. "Do not let foolish sentiment cloud your judgement."

Lloyd glared up at him. "What if it was your wife?" he hissed. Kratos froze and Lloyd pushed his way past to go talk to Colette. He wrapped his arms around the excited girl and gave her a hug, but over her shoulder he kept his angry eyes on Kratos.

* * *

When Botta entered Yuan's office several hours later, he found his boss sitting at his desk, twirling a pen and staring at the broken trap he'd ordered Zelos to set.

"So," Botta said, sitting across from him, "I am curious. You said you wanted to convince Sheena and the others to join our side. How, exactly, was caging them like animals supposed to help?"

"It forced them to listen to me. Although…"

Botta snorted. "Maybe not as well as you would have hoped."

"Damn Pronyma interrupted." Yuan reached over and picked up the trap. He turned it over in his thin fingers. "Otherwise, I'd probably have Lloyd convinced by now. And where Lloyd goes, Kratos will follow."

"So what now? We could set another trap, or we could go chasing after them." Botta ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Or we could just wait for them to come to us. They'll need the Rheairds before they can do anything else."

Yuan didn't reply. He was playing with the trap, flicking a thin piece of metal that was hanging off of it.

"Sir?"

"Someone tampered with this." There was no uncertainty in Yuan's voice. Botta raised an eyebrow.

"Sir, you said the Chosen stepped on it. She most likely broke it."

Yuan shook his head. "No. It shouldn't have malfunctioned when she stepped on it. Someone sabotaged it. Look." He indicated the piece of metal, which had a jagged edge, as if a piece of it had been snapped off.

Botta looked it over and attempted to sooth him. "Sometimes there are mechanical failures. It happens, it does not mean it's a nefarious plot."

Yuan snorted. "Hmph. Clearly, Botta, you don't know me as well as I thought. Have I ever made a machine that's malfunctioned?"

Botta wracked his brain. He hesitated, then admitted, "Well…I suppose you haven't."

"Exactly. My machines don't malfunction. _Someone tampered with this._ " He tossed it aside angrily, where it landed on his desk and sent a stack of papers scattering across the floor. "Probably Kratos. That man has a knack for screwing up my plans."

Their conversation was interrupted by a beeping noise. Yuan pulled his communicator—the one given to him by Cruxis—off his belt. He narrowed his eyes as he read the message.

"Damn. Pronyma must've already reported back to him." He put it back on his belt. "Yggdrasill wants to see me, immediately. That means I only have about two hours before he sends a messenger angel to come find me." Yuan tilted his head back and exhaled. "He is going to be very upset that I went after Kratos. He specifically told us not to."

Botta resisted the urge to sigh. "Well, Sir, what do we do now?"

"I don't know about you," Yuan said. "But I have a splitting headache." He reached for his coffee mug. "I need to come up with some plausible reason for trying to capture Kratos."

"Hmm." Yuan reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a dark brown bottle. Botta's eyes went wide. "Sir, are you putting rum in your coffee?"

"Of course not. This is whiskey." He poured a healthy amount into his cup and then drained it. "Now. Help me brainstorm."

* * *

Lloyd wanted the group to head for Meltokio, but Sheena suggested a nearby House of Guidance instead. "It's closer," she argued. "Besides, I think we need a rest after all of that. Especially Colette." She gave her friend a smile. "I'll be you're hungry."

"I agree," Raine said. "We should sit down and parse out a new plan."

"Hey! Tomorrow, if we go into town, we can get ingredients to make cookies to celebrate." Genis cheerfully hopped over a few rocks. "What kind would you like, Colette?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said. She clasped her hands together excitedly. "Everything you make is always so good, Genis. What kind do you want, Lloyd?"

"Aw, c'mon, Colette," Lloyd said. "It's for you."

"Okay, um…chocolate chip!"

The House of Guidance wasn't far; it was situated on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. As they approached, a pair of nuns came to them, looking alarmed.

"Chosen. We were told that you…" One of the nuns, a young blonde woman, put her hands to her mouth. "Please, Chosen One, tell us it isn't true."

Zelos shrugged. "Okay. It isn't true."

Sheena rolled her eyes behind him, but the two nuns both had to hide their snickers.

"Listen, ladies," Zelos continued smoothly. "Do you really think that I, the Chosen of Mana, would…what are they accusing me of again?"

"Treason," the other nun said helpfully. She was a bit older, with darker hair that had grey at the temples.

"Oh, geez, couldn't they think of something more original?" Zelos rolled his eyes and two women giggled. "Well, do I seem like the kind of guy to commit treason? Of course not. You know the Pope, he's a bit, uh…" Zelos gestured with his hands, trying to find the word.

"…Paranoid?" the younger woman said. "He's always sort of worried about silly things."

"Yeah, well, you know." Zelos shrugged. "Listen, we don't want to cause any trouble, so we'll just go somewhere else." He turned around and motioned for the others to do the same.

"Wait, wait!" The younger nun reached out. "Chosen One, you can stay here!"

"Huh? No, no, we don't want to get you ladies in trouble."

The older woman shook her head firmly. "Chosen, we wouldn't hear of it. Remember, we nuns serve Martel. Not the Pope."

"Ah. Well, I suppose…if you're offering…"

"You can stay here," the younger one promised. "We won't tell anyone."

Zelos gave her a wide grin. "That's just what I wanted to hear."

* * *

"While travelling through Meltokio, I spotted the Chosen's group. Believing that I could isolate and capture Kratos, I met them on the Fooji Mountains and attempted to apprehend them. While there, Pronyma interrupted and attempted to take custody of the Chosen. The group was able to escape in the confusion." Yuan, who had been pacing around his desk, stopped and took a deep breath and glanced over to Botta, who was sitting at his desk writing a report. "How was that?"

"…What were you doing in Meltokio?" Botta questioned.

"Looking for supplies for the Chosen's treatment," Yuan replied quickly. "To make a Rune Crest."

"Hmm. Strange." Botta tapped his mouth with his pen. "A Rune Crest requires a Mana Fragment, Zircon, and Mana Leaf Herb. None of which require you to go to Meltokio."

"Ugh…whose side are you on here, Botta?" Yuan sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Sir, you asked me to poke holes in your story, so I'm poking." Botta stabbed the air with his pen to get his point across. "Yggdrasill will not believe you just _happened_ to stumble across the Chosen's group."

"Then what should I tell him?" Yuan demanded angrily. "That I had a lunch date with Kratos?"

Botta sighed. "Sir, if I give you my advice, are you going to take it?"

"Probably not," Yuan replied petulantly. "But I'll consider it."

"…Fall on your sword." Botta twirled his pen in his fingers. "You were given specific orders not to capture Kratos. Admit to Yggdrasill that you went against his orders. I doubt he'll have a hard time believing it."

"Good idea, Botta. And while we're at it, I can bring him down here for a tour of the Renegade Base, too." Yuan rolled his eyes. "I want to get suspicion off me, Botta, not pile more on."

"That's what I'm saying," Botta replied evenly. "Admit that you have been following Kratos, looking for an opportunity to strike. As ill-advised as it was, you went against Yggdrasill's directions, and it backfired."

"…Hmm…" Yuan considered it. "Not a bad idea, Botta. I can apologize, grovel a bit…play the humble, contrite servant…"

"Let's not go too far, Sir," Botta mused. "Keep it believable."

"And Yggdrasill won't be any the wiser." Yuan pushed himself off the desk. "Very good. I'd better get up there, then, and stretch the limit of my acting skills. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

"And thank you for the advice," Yuan added as an afterthought, already halfway out the door. Botta gave a chuckle as the door slid shut behind him.

"Just doing my job, Sir."

* * *

The nuns took the group upstairs, where there were two rooms. Raine quickly separated them into two: "Men in one room, ladies in another. And Zelos, I don't want to see you until morning."

"Ugh, you're no fun," he grumbled. Sheena smacked the back of his head.

Genis and Colette started to make dinner, happily working together to make a cream stew for Colette, who was ecstatic that she could taste again. Kratos would spot her occasionally sneaking bites of the ingredients before she put them in. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she giggled and hastily whispered, "Shh!".

"Ooh, and shrimp! Can we put shrimp in it?" Colette pulled out said seafood and held it up. "I haven't had shrimp since Palmacosta!"

"Of course!" Genis glanced around and shot a glance at Presea. "H-hey, Presea, you can h-help, too. Y-you know, if you want." She gave him a deadpan expression.

"I do not."

Zelos laughed. "Nice try, kid."

"Shut up!" Genis reached over and punched the swordsman in the shoulder, blushing a furious red.

Raine sighed. "Enough of your childish antics. We have a real problem to contend with." She folded her arms and stared around at them. "Colette, dear, I'm glad you're back, but we need to discuss our next step."

"Oh, yeah, we need to bring Presea back to that Kate chick," Zelos remarked. "Though, I have no idea how we're going to do that. The bridge is probably still blocked off for a while."

"Hmm…well, I have some contacts in Meltokio." Sheena was sitting cross legged on the floor. "Maybe one of them can help us out."

"But we're wanted traitors!" Genis protested. "Can we even get into Meltokio?"

"Ah, don't worry about it. I've got my ways." Zelos grinned. "I've spent enough nights sneaking in and out of Meltokio."

"Okay, Zelos, we're counting on you!" Lloyd grinned as he reached over with a spoon to taste the stew. Genis made a noise and smacked his hand. Not that it stopped Lloyd, who promptly shoved the spoon into his mouth.

"Lloyd! It's not finished!"

"Oh, come on, what's the harm?"

"There's raw shrimp in there, you dummy!"

Lloyd choked and spit out the spoonful. "Ugh!"

Colette laughed, a welcome sound after her recent silence. So welcome that even Kratos smiled. Lloyd was practically beaming.

"I'm so glad you're back, Colette."

* * *

"…Hey."

Kratos glanced up. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, flipping through one of his books. It was just after dinner; Kratos had snuck away to the males' bedroom to read in peace and quiet. It had been barely twenty minutes and Lloyd had just walked into the room, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Kratos shut his book and set it aside. "What is it, Lloyd?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Are you mad at me?"

Kratos blinked. "Why would I be angry at you?"

"Because I keep doing stupid stuff." Lloyd gave him a feeble attempt at a smile. "Like getting into fights with Yuan."

Kratos let out a long breath. "I'm not upset with you. I'm just trying teach you not to let your emotions overtake your common sense."

"…It's not easy," Lloyd admitted. "How are you so calm all the time?"

"Time. Age." Kratos moved over to allow some room beside him. "Remaining calm when someone is pushing your buttons is a lesson that has to be learned the hard way, through experience."

Lloyd sat down beside him on the bed. "Do you think Yuan knows stuff about my family?" he asked abruptly. "Or do you think he's lying to get me to cooperate with him?"

"…I think Yuan is trying to trick you. He knows that you want information on your family and he's not afraid to use that against you." Kratos sighed. "Yuan will probably tell you anything he thinks you want to hear to get you in his clutches."

Lloyd shuffled his feet. "I know that. It just hurts, you know? It seems like everyone knows what happened to my parents, except for me."

For a brief moment, the thought passes through Kratos' mind: _you could tell him._ But he shoved it out of his head, reminding himself that Lloyd will be safer, happier, not knowing.

Instead, he squeezed Lloyd shoulder bracingly. "Don't let Yuan take advantage of you. You're smarter than that. Your plan is to save both worlds, correct?"

"Yeah." Lloyd took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's right. I will."

Kratos nodded approvingly. "Then continue working for that goal. Don't worry about what Yuan may know or not know."

The door opened, ending any conversation the two were having. Zelos loped in, as breezy as ever.

"Ugh, I hate places like this. Every time I stop here, all I get from the nuns and priests are requests to pray with them. It's such a burden being popular." He flopped on his bed and sighed. "What are you two doing, having a party?"

"Hmph. I would think that the Chosen wouldn't mind praying." Kratos folded his arms as Lloyd stood up and went to his own bed. "It seems strange you don't want to do it."

"Yeah." Lloyd scratched his head. "Colette likes to pray. She says it makes her feel at peace."

"Heh…well, Colette's a better Chosen than I am, I guess." Zelos smirked, though his smile didn't make him look any happier. "I'll be honest, I don't know if I would be so…enthusiastic about killing myself for the world."

"You can't think of a single person you'd sacrifice yourself to save?" Lloyd questioned. Zelos snorted. "Not even one of your girlfriends?"

"…Like I said," he replied. "Colette's a better Chosen than I am. Me? I'm selfish. What can I say?" He shrugged. "I am what I am."

Lloyd cocked his head. "I don't think you're selfish."

Zelos didn't say anything, although his disbelieving face said enough. There were a few moments of awkward silence, before Lloyd cleared his throat.

"Hey, as long as you're both here, um…" He scratched the back of his head out of habit. "Can we…maybe train a bit? I want to learn how to do that twirl thing."

"Light Spear?" Kratos questioned. Lloyd nodded. "Hmm. Well, if you want to, we can go to a more suitable location and I can show you how to do it."

"Oho ho!" Zelos practically leapt up from his bed. "Are we having a late night lesson?"

"We'll have to be back before sundown. Maybe an hour or two, but that's enough to get the basics in." Kratos stood up and pulled out his bag. "Lloyd, go ahead and fill some canteens downstairs. We'll grab some medicinal items, just in case."

"Sure! Meet you out front?" Kratos nodded and Lloyd went off. Zelos gave him a wry smile as the boy's footsteps faded away.

"Medicine, huh? You, uh, going to give some of that to me when you give me a black eye?"

"Hmph. I don't intend to harm you." Kratos carefully began to place life bottles in his pack. "Not unless you give me a reason."

"Ah." Zelos nodded. "And you just wanted to remind me not to give you a reason."

"Just a reminder." Kratos tied the bag closed and headed for the door. "Come. Lloyd is not a patient child."

"Huh. Wonder where he gets it from."


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm alive! I promise! I just...had some writer's block. Then I got really into Dragonball Legends for, like, a solid three and a half weeks.**

 ***Please send help I'm lost in Future Trunks' eyes.***

 **Anyway, I'm here, and ready to write again! Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Unsettling was the word, Yuan thought to himself. Derris-Kharlan was unsettling.

He'd come from the Renegade base, which was always a flurry of activity and life. Renegades running around trying to meet his demands, off-duty guards getting drunk and telling bad jokes, the occasional fight that would break out between young men who both fancied the same young woman. Yuan didn't usually get involved in it—too busy, too old, too jaded—but it was jarring to go from such a lively place to… _this._

"Lord Yuan. I have been instructed to ensure you arrive to meet Lord Yggdrasill." An angel, unnaturally stiff in his movements, greeted Yuan on his arrival. "Please, come with me."

"I can find my way around myself, thank you very much," Yuan said sharply. "You can go."

"My apologies, sir, but Lord Yggdrasill's orders are absolute. He must be obeyed."

Yuan sighed heavily. "Fine. Lead the way."

The angel did not take Yuan to the throne room, which was alarming. As they continued walking, he felt his stomach drop, as he knew there was only one other place Yggdrasill would be.

The Hall of the Great Seed.

Yuan absolutely hated the room, and he was sure that was why Yggdrasill was there. Punishment. Yggdrasill never went for physical punishments; no, he preferred emotional and mental torment.

Which was how Yuan found himself staring up at the body of his late fiancé.

Even over four thousand years, he never got used to it. Martel was pale, with her beautiful green eyes closed for an eternity, and her delicate arms crossed over her chest. Just like she would had she been placed in a coffin.

Yuan's stomach seemed to rebel against him, so he purposefully turned his gaze away from Martel. He glanced around the room and saw that Yggdrasill was below, staring up at her, his gaze transfixed.

"Yuan. Pronyma has already been to speak to me about what happened in Tethe'alla." He turned around to look at Yuan clearly. "Perhaps you can shed some light on the situation."

Yuan inhaled. He hoped Botta's idea worked. "It's my fault," he admitted. "I tried to capture Kratos and Pronyma got in my way."

"I thought I told you to leave Kratos alone."

"You did. I was…foolish." Yuan folded his arms. "I just think it's a mistake to let Kratos run around freely. Who knows what he could do?"

"…" Yggdrasill walked towards him. "Oddly enough, Yuan, just because you feel a certain way doesn't mean that I do." He stopped abruptly, barely three feet away from Yuan. "Leave. Kratos. Alone. I am keeping tabs on him, so he poses no risk."

"Understood." Yuan didn't say anything more.

"…Your foolishness caused Pronyma to lose track of the Chosen." Yggdrasill folded his arms, as if he were a father scolding his child. "This sets us back."

"I know. I have no excuse, I was…trying to do exactly what you told me not to." Yuan turned his face away, as if he were ashamed. "I won't do it again."

"No…no, I'm sure you won't." Yggdrasill turned away as well, back to Martel. "However, it matters little in the end. Ultimately, Kratos will return to Cruxis and so will the Chosen."

"How do you intend to capture him?" Yuan asked curiously. "It won't be easy."

"I'm not going to capture Kratos. I'm going to convince him."

That proclamation was met with silence. "With all due respect," Yuan said apprehensively, "who do you think could convince Kratos to come back? I didn't get anywhere with him. And there isn't anyone else he's close to in Cruxis." Well, except for…

"I will talk to him myself," Yggdrasill said quietly. Yuan stiffened. "Yuan, tell me something." Yggdrasill turned quickly towards his old friend. "What do you know of Lloyd?"

"…Well, he's Kratos' son. He is 17 years old, he's about five foot—" Yggdrasill waved his hand dismissively.

"Not what he looks like. What his personality is."  
"…Personality?" Now Yuan really didn't know where this was going. Why would Yggdrasill care? "From what I've seen, he's arrogant, not terribly intelligent, and is easy to anger. Getting him riled up is not a difficult task." Yuan shrugged. "Besides that? Just everything you know."

"He travels with half-elves." Yggdrasill stared off, lost in his thoughts. "Strange, considering his upbringing and circumstances."

"…" Yuan didn't respond. He didn't know _how_ to respond. "Suppose it is," he said finally.

"Kratos' child, through and through." With that, Yggdrasill started towards the door of the castle. "Don't go after them again, Yuan. I will handle it."

"Of course." Yuan watched him leave, the teleporter humming to life and taking Yggdrasill away. He stayed for a few seconds, staring out at the cold purple sky around him.

Eventually, Yuan turned and left as well. He had work to do.

* * *

To everyone's surprise, Kratos found that he and Zelos worked well together as teachers. Perhaps it was simply that the two balanced each other out: Kratos could be harsher and more critical, while Zelos could quickly redirect Lloyd with a joke.

They went out to a clearing not far from the House of Guidance. Kratos deemed it appropriate: flat land, soft grass, few trees around them. To warm up, Kratos and Zelos each sparred with Lloyd, putting him through his paces. Eventually, Kratos gestured for Lloyd to take a spot in front of him.

"Good job. Get into fighting position." Lloyd obeyed, his swords out and ready. "Keep your stance wide and lower your body." Kratos adjusted Lloyd's arms, carefully bending them into proper place. "You want your center of gravity lower, so that it's harder to knock you down."

"Got it." Lloyd obeyed, leaning forward eagerly. "What do I do next?"

"Hmm…" Zelos casually walked up and bumped his shoulder into Lloyd's. Lloyd was knocked off balance and had to take a step back to steady himself. "Don't lean forward like that. It puts you on your toes, and then I can just…knock you down."

"Good catch," Kratos commented. He watched as Zelos pulled Lloyd's shoulders back. "You want to be rooted to the ground. If you start this technique off sloppily, you won't be able to follow through with it."

"How's this?" Both Kratos and Zelos nodded in approval and Lloyd smiled. "Alright! I'm getting the hang of it. Now what do I do?"

"We'll start with the actual technique." Kratos pulled his sword out. "You perform a spiral slash upwards, then hit your enemy with a downward slash." He nodded to Zelos, who procured his sword. "Let's work on the spiral slash."

"You want to jump up," Zelos explained, slowly demonstrating. "Take a step forward with your right foot. You want to put your swords in resting position, as if you were unsheathing them."

Lloyd did so, and both Zelos and Kratos immediately spotted a problem.

"Wait. Not both swords." Kratos indicated Lloyd's left sword. "We've had this problem before. When you use two swords, you deviate from the traditional methods of fighting. Treat your left hand as if it's holding a shield, not a sword."

"Um…like this?" Lloyd held his left sword out awkwardly. "That doesn't seem right…"

Zelos glanced at Kratos. "Listen, bud, maybe we should try a different technique. If you're going to fight with two swords, it's almost like you're fighting with a different weapon."

Lloyd shook his head. "No, no! I want to learn how to do it. It can't be that different."

"In that case," Kratos explained, "we'll have to modify the technique. Hold your left sword close to your body and parallel to the ground."

"Gotta watch out, though," Zelos added. "Keep your hand steady. If your sword slips, you're going to be completely defenseless on your left side."

"Got it." Lloyd did as instructed. "Show me again."

"Alright, you ready?" Zelos lowered his body, demonstrating the correct start to the technique. "Take a step forward with your right leg. Jump straight up and twist your body to the right." He demonstrated an effortless slash upwards, spinning in the air.

"Be careful," Kratos told Lloyd as Zelos landed gracefully on his feet. "This technique is powerful and can incapacitate your enemy, but it leaves you vulnerable."

"Right. If you get hit in the back, you are in for a rough time." Zelos brushed a lock of red hair out of his face. "Ready to try it?"

"Ready!" Lloyd got into the appropriate stance and waited.

"Go!"

Lloyd leapt up, performing the arcing slice. It was shaky: Kratos could easily see a dozen weak points, and he was sure Zelos saw just as many. But for the first time, Lloyd did well. He finished the slash and his feet hit the ground.

He stumbled and landed flat on his face.

"Yikes. Watching a rookie do it, it looks even more painful." Zelos walked over to help him up.

"Wh…what did I do wrong?" Lloyd asked, his face turning red. "I thought I did it right."

"The cut itself wasn't bad for a first attempt," Kratos said. "The hardest part is landing. When you do any sort of attack like this, it puts you off balance automatically. Think of when you attack with Tempest. It took you a while to get your bearings, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but…" Lloyd sighed. "This looked easier."

"Looks can be deceiving." Kratos folded his arms. "Not to mention, we haven't taught you the proper strike downwards. That changes things."

"Pick yourself up, bud," Zelos told him enthusiastically. "Try again. When you land, try to keep your feet staggered, so you have more support."

"And don't be afraid to take some steps forward to steady yourself," Kratos added. Zelos hauled Lloyd to his feet. "Get into your stance."

Lloyd did as he was told, teeth bared and fierce determination in his eyes. Kratos nodded, pleased.

"Again."

* * *

By the time the sun had set, Lloyd had a solid handle on the twirl of Light Spear. He was still a bit shaky on his landing—his legs took the brunt of the impact, which sent him buckling, though he no longer fell—but overall, he had a good start.

"Practice it in battle," Kratos told him as they packed up. Zelos was hanging back, watching them both, which made Kratos uneasy. "On weaker monsters, of course. By our next lesson, I'd like you to have mastered the landing."

"Right!" Lloyd grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "No more wobbly knees for me."

"Exactly. You're not an infant trying to stand up anymore." Kratos' face softened at the memory. "Heh. We'd better hurry back. It's getting late."

"You two head off," Zelos told them. "I'm going to take a walk. It's such a nice night out, you know?" He gestured around to the cool air. "Wanna take advantage of it."

"Are you sure, Zelos?" Lloyd cocked his head to the side. "It's dangerous out here. There could be monsters."

Zelos waved him off. "Nah, I'll be fine, bud."

"Alright. Be careful," Lloyd said. "And don't stay out too late, alright?"

"Of course not." Zelos gave him a cheeky grin. "What are you, my mom?"

"Chosen." Kratos stared at him. "You need to be…very careful. Or something bad might happen."

"Hmm. That wouldn't be a threat, would it, old man?" Zelos winked at him.

Lloyd grimaced. "Geez, Kratos, that really _did_ sound threatening. You're so weird."

He started walking through the trees, disappearing into the darkness. Kratos and Zelos stared each other down for a moment, before Kratos said, "Hmph," and turned to follow Lloyd.

Zelos let out a sigh of relief. Call him crazy, but he just couldn't relax when the old man was watching him so closely.

He strolled through the woods, inhaling the heavy scent of damp dirt. It was dark now, with only the moon lighting his path. The wind made the trees move in the darkness. In the stillness, the shadows seemed almost like living creatures.

Zelos unsheathed his sword and swung it around. Its gleaming point was directly underneath Yggdrasill's chin.

The man was calm and composed, not taking any notice of the sword at his throat. "Zelos."

"…You know, one day," he grunted, keeping his sword steady, "I'll be able to take a walk without you crawling up my ass. What do you want?"

"You were just alone with Lloyd and Kratos."

The Chosen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? So?"

Yggdrasill knocked the sword away with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They trust you. That's good."

"Hmm. I don't know about that." Zelos sheathed his sword, but his eyes stayed on Yggdrasill. "Kratos sure as hell doesn't, and I'm sure he's made it clear to everyone else."

"…If you could, would you be able to get Kratos alone?" Yggdrasill started to circle around Zelos. "Just him, away from the others?"

Zelos shrugged. "Probably not. He's a smart guy, he won't just come when I call."

"I wouldn't expect him to." Yggdrasill hummed thoughtfully. "Well, you can get Kratos and Lloyd alone for training, obviously. In fact…" He smiled, a cruel, cold smile. "Yes, that would be best."

Zelos swallowed. "Whoa, whoa! You're not going to just capture the two of them, are you? That'll cause a few big problems for me."

"Ahahaha!" Yggdrasill's laugh was unnatural, almost mechanical. "What, are you beginning to care for those…ha. Well, I don't intend to harm either of them. No, Kratos just needs to be reminded of what is at stake."

"…Whatever. I thought you needed Colette."

Yggdrasill nodded. "That's correct, but we can't use her at the moment. I'll eventually take her to Derris-Kharlan."

Light started to sparkle around him, preparing to teleport away. "When you reach Meltokio, take the two of them east. I'll find you there." He smirked. "And don't worry your pretty little head, Zelos. I promise I won't harm your friends. Yet."

He disappeared, leaving Zelos with a pit in his stomach. The Chosen rubbed his face, then turned around and headed back to his companions, unease coloring his thoughts.

* * *

Kratos was preoccupied, his mind drifting as Lloyd chattered on. He didn't like the idea of Zelos wondering off alone—who knew what he could get up to—but he knew it didn't matter. Zelos was crafty; he would do what he wanted one way or another.

"…Hey." Lloyd glanced up at Kratos, who brought his senses back. "You actually were threatening Zelos back there, weren't you?"

"…Hmph." Say what you will about Lloyd, but his son was perceptive. "Yes, I was. Remember, Lloyd, Zelos is still a double agent. He's probably contacting Cruxis as we speak. Or the Renegades," he added.

Lloyd shrugged. "Well, I trust him. Sort of. He might not be all the way on our side now, but I think he'll come around."

Kratos blinked at him. "…You always see the good in people, don't you?"

"Hehe." Lloyd scratched the back of his head. "You know, no one ever says that like it's a good thing."

"Hmph. Well…it's really not."

"But I don't get it. Why isn't it a good thing?" Lloyd demanded. "I mean, yeah, sometimes people do bad things, but…mistakes can be fixed. People can be forgiven. Just look at you."

"Me?" Kratos blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we forgave you, right? Even though you were going to kill us." Lloyd shrugged. "And I trust you now."

Kratos was struck, once again, by just how much Lloyd reminded him of Anna. Even after all they had been through, the two of them still kept their positivity, their inimitable optimism and trusting nature. Despite his own personal beliefs—that Zelos was not to be trusted, that it was foolish to believe everyone you meet—he found himself smiling at his son.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "Um…why are you staring at me?"

"...I pray you never lose that innocence."

Lloyd's jaw dropped. "Uh...Kratos...? Are you okay?"

"I preach vigilance to you, as does Raine," Kratos continued. "We are trying to teach you to be aware of threats and to protect yourself from them. However..." He huffed out what sounded like a laugh. "Heh. It seems you _are_ aware of the risks, you just choose to ignore them."

"I don't ignore them," Lloyd argued. "I fight them differently than you guys do. If I can get Zelos on our side now, isn't that better than fighting him in the long run?"

"Hmph. Well..."

"Dwarven Vow #38: Follow your heart, but take your brain with you." Lloyd's smile suddenly faltered.

"What?" Kratos blinked down at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just..." He rubbed his face and sighed. "I miss my dad. I'm just sort of homesick."

Kratos stopped walking, and Lloyd followed suite. "You and Dirk are close." It wasn't a question.

"Well...yeah. He's my dad." Lloyd looked up at the sky, where tiny dots of light were just started to shine through the darkness. "I keep thinking...did I make good decisions? Would my dad be proud of me?"

"Lloyd." Kratos' hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "I'm sure your father is very proud of you. You've done remarkable things since the beginning of this journey. Things that...most people would not have the strength to do."

"You mean swordsmanship?" Lloyd glanced over and saw that Kratos was also looking up at the night sky. "I guess I have gotten stronger."

Kratos shook his head. "Not that. Strength of character, I mean. Not many people would show the courage and empathy that you have. It's a rare trait, courage."

Lloyd's face turned red. "Heh...thanks, Kratos. And, you know...you taught me some of that stuff. So I guess I have to thank you for that, too!" He looked back at the older man, who was staring at him with a blank look on his face. "W-what is it?"

"Nothing, Lloyd." Kratos inhaled and started walking again. "Let's get back. I'm sure whatever Zelos is up to, we'll find out soon enough."

* * *

"You're taking us through the sewers?!"

The group was standing outside of the walls of Meltokio. It was mid-morning the next day—they'd left early, just after sunrise, to try to get to Meltokio as soon as possible. Now here they stood, at a broken grate that led directly below the city.

"That's disgusting!" Sheena wrinkled her nose while Zelos rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh, please. It's not that bad, we won't be swimming in it or anything."

No one was particularly pleased about it, but as Raine pointed out, they'd been through worse.

"I'd take a thousand sewers before I went through a human ranch again," she said quietly. The rest of the group couldn't argue with that, so into the sewers they went.

It was dark and humid inside, with the sound of running water echoing in the stone chambers. Sheena flinched at the sound of a rat squeaking and made a face. Zelos grinned and took the lead, taking them to a door.

A door that was sealed shut.

"What the hell?" Zelos groaned. "This door's never locked!"

"Hmm…" Raine reached her hand out to examine it. "Someone must have expected us to come this way. But if it can be closed, then it can also be opened."

"A switch, I'd bet." Kratos gestured to the stairs beside them. "Let's take a look around."

They did exactly that, tromping around in the sewers to open the door. They came upon a trash compactor (which elicited grimaces from most of the group, though Lloyd and Colette were both fascinated by it), and used it to make their way through. Finally, they ended up opening the door, where Zelos pointed up to a ladder above them.

"There we go. That'll get us into Meltokio." Zelos stretched his arms above his head and led the way. "You can thank me later."

It was Kratos who heard the ambush. He reached out and grabbed Lloyd's arm, yanking his son behind him as he shouted, "Above us!"

There was a loud crash, and something fell directly on top of Zelos. Or rather, _someone_.

"Oof!" Zelos was face down on the dirty floor, a foot directly on top of the back of his neck. "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

A very large, very muscular man was standing on top of Zelos, pinning him to the ground. The man was strangely calm as he spoke, his dirty blue hair hiding his face. "Don't move, or the Chosen dies."

"Whoa, whoa, you think you can do this to the Chosen?" Zelos had to turn his head to speak. "You won't get away with this."

"One who plots the destruction of the world cannot be deemed the Chosen." He pressed harder on Zelos' back as the Chosen tried to wiggle away.

"Uh…hey, Lloyd? If you abandon me here, I'll come back to haunt you."

"…I just had a sudden, violent urge to abandon you."

"Stop fooling around," Raine chastised. She nodded to the man. "Who are you exactly?"

Though he didn't answer, the man stood up a little straighter, and Kratos caught the sparkle of metal.

"A convict," he mused. "He's wearing handcuffs."

"The Pope has ordered me to eliminate you, travelers from Sylvarant. To save Tethe'alla."

Before he could continue, there was a rush of movement. Presea had moved quickly, her axe raised, and she sliced it towards him. He dodged by leaping back from Zelos, who took advantage of his distraction to scramble up and grab onto Lloyd.

"Whew! I thought I was a goner!" He hugged Lloyd, who elbowed him in the ribs. "Let's kick this guy's ass!"  
The convict took no notice of the threat. He was staring at Presea, his mouth open in shock. "You're…"

Before he regained his bearings, Genis had started a spell. He dodged it, ducking backwards. He gave one last meaningful look at the girl before he turned away and ran, retreating from the group.

"…What was that?" Lloyd asked. He rolled his shoulders irritably. "Get off me, Zelos."

"Was he trying to kill us?" Raine questioned out loud. She frowned thoughtfully. "He ran when he saw Presea…"

"Thank goodness everyone's okay," Colette said.

Kratos started toward the ladder. "Let's go. It's likely he'll come for us again."

"But…!" Lloyd started to argue, but Raine shushed him.

"Lloyd, this is just like with Sheena. If that man was really sent by the Pope, it won't be the last we see of him."

Sheena nodded. "Right. Whoever that guy was, if the Pope sent him, he'll be back."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." Lloyd glanced up to see Kratos, already the bottom of the ladder. "Hey, Kratos, wait up!"

The group followed after the swordsman, climbing up the ladder and into the light of Meltokio.


	10. Chapter 10

**We're in double digits, baby! Yeah! Thanks for hanging in there, everyone. Happy reading!**

* * *

The Elemental Research Laboratory was a surprisingly small building, almost hidden off to the side of the city. It was protected by wrought iron gates emblazoned with the Royal Crest.

"This is it!" Sheena led them inside, where they crowded into a fairly empty reception area. There were a few chairs off to the side, as well as a counter and a set of stairs going down.

There were two people there: a woman dressed in a lab coat and a man dressed in a red outfit that covered his head. When he saw Sheena, his eyes went wide.

"Sheena! It's you!" His face wasn't visible, covered by black cloth. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey, Kuchinawa!" Sheena glanced back. "Everyone, this is an old friend of mine from my village. His name's Kuchinawa. Kuchinawa, these are the travelers from Sylvarant."

"Sylvarant?" Kunchinawa nodded in understanding. "Of course. Pleased to meet you. So, what _are_ you doing here, Sheena? I didn't expect to see you."

"Oh, we need to find a way across the Tethe'alla bridge, but it's closed. We were hoping someone here could help us out."

Kuchinawa nodded. "Then, let's find out." He gestured and started the down the stairs, the rest of the group following after them.

Downstairs, the group was greeted by two researchers, both with pointed ears. Lloyd leaned over to Kratos.

"Are they half-elves?" he whispered. Kratos nodded. "Just like at the Academy…"

Sheena had already launched into an explanation of their problem, and the researchers were nodding along enthusiastically.

"Hmm…" The woman crooked her head thoughtfully. "Well, no ship will transport you now. You're fugitives, it's _huge_ news." She glanced over at her partner. "But…we might have a way…Sheena, you said you'd made a pact with Undine, correct?"

"Undine?" Kuchinawa's head snapped over to her. "Sheena, is that true?"

"Ah…yeah!" She blushed, embarrassed. "It's a long story, but I had to get her help."

"Wow…even after…" Kuchinawa shook his head. "Uh, congratulations, Sheena! That's great news!"

"If you can use Undine's power," the researcher said, "then we may have solution. We can create a modified EC that surfs!"

"Wait…what? An…EC?" Lloyd asked. Zelos made a face.

"Geez, you guys are really in the dark ages, aren't you? An EC is an elemental cargo. It's used to transport stuff around." He turned to the researchers. "It's not very big, just large enough to hold a driver and the cargo. Are you sure it'll work?"

"Wait, is this safe?!" Raine went pale and her voice went up an octave. "A land transportation vehicle is hardly safe for sea travel, it could easily—!"

"We'll do it." Kratos interrupted. The rest of the group turned to him and he gave a weary sigh. "It's our only option at the moment. I sincerely doubt it's any more dangerous than a ship."

"Kratos is right," Colette said. She glanced at Presea. "We have to go back to see Kate, right? And get Presea home."

The researcher nodded. "Alright, then. It'll take some time, but we can modify the EC for you. Come back the day after tomorrow, it should be done by then."

"…Is there anywhere we can stay the night in the city?" Genis asked. "I mean, our faces are plastered all over the place. We can't just drop by the inn."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We can stay at my mansion." Zelos flashed them all a smile. "It's an outrageously conspicuous building up near the Cathedral. I'll take you there."

They started to leave, but Lloyd hesitated and turned back to the researchers. "Hey…thanks, you guys."

Both of them looked surprised. "Um…you're welcome."

"You don't leave your labs much, do you?" he asked. The male researcher frowned.

"No, we're half-elves." He gestured to a door off to the side. "We live here, and we really only ever leave if the Pope or the King calls for us."

"I figured. Thanks again." He waved to them and they both waved hesitantly back. "We'll see you guys around!"

The half-elves stared after him as he walked away, confused, as if they had never met anyone like him.

* * *

When Yuan returned to the Renegade base, he seemed distracted. He listened while his soldiers gave their reports, nodding and making the appropriate noises at the appropriate times. It was very out of character for him. Usually, Yuan had _something_ extra to say; this time, all he said was, "Very good. Carry on."

Botta gave him an hour before he went looking for his superior. He found him in the office.

He was sitting at his desk, staring at a piece of paper in his hand, but clearly not reading it. Botta watched him for a few seconds before he finally said, "Sir? Is something wrong?"

Yuan looked up, seemingly giving up on the charade of work. He tossed the paper into the pile on his desk. "I won't lie to you. Yggdrasill is starting to worry me."

Botta raised an eyebrow. "Starting?"

"He's surprisingly calm for a man who has been betrayed," Yuan continued, ignoring Botta's snark. "Back when Kratos was travelling with Anna, Yggdrasill was furious. He ordered every Grand Cardinal to find him, he plastered his face all over both worlds as a heretic of Cruxis, even sent me down personally to search for him. But now…" Yuan shook his head. "Now Yggdrasill is acting…cocky. As if he's already won."

Botta sat down in the chair across from the desk. "Hmm. I don't see why that's so concerning. He's often confident in his power."

Yuan sighed heavily. "…Do you know how Kratos came back to Cruxis after his family's death?"

"I'd assume that Yggdrasill had his angels collect him. Why does it matter?"

"When it happened, I told Yggdrasill I would go get him." Yuan clenched his fists on the desk, his anger still there after all this time. "I figured it would be easier to get Kratos to comply if…if he had a friend beside him. Or something close to it."

"So you brought him back?"

"No. Yggdrasill told me that it was unnecessary. Do you know what he did instead?" Botta shook his head. "He waited. He did nothing for three weeks, while Kratos just wandered around God-knows-where. And then, one day, I went into the throne room and…" Yuan held up both his hands in surprise. "There he was. Kratos said he had nowhere else to go."

"So he returned to Cruxis." Botta sighed and shook his head. "A sordid tale, but why are you bringing it up?"

"Because it's a perfect example of how Yggdrasill operates." Yuan closed his eyes and tipped his head back. "He was irate when Kratos had others to rely on. When Kratos had no one else to cling to, Yggdrasill assumed—correctly—that he had nothing to worry about."

Botta leaned back in his chair. "What do you think Yggdrasill will do now?"

"He'll start with killing Lloyd," Yuan said immediately. "Yggdrasill regards him as the root of the problem. Just like before, if Kratos loses his family, he'll have nowhere to go."

"So he'll have no choice but to return to Cruxis," Botta finished. "I see. It's risky, since Kratos could easily defect even further."

"I doubt it. Kratos is…" Yuan inhaled. "…Let's just say, he's a follower, not a leader. If he loses Lloyd again, I don't know how he would react."

"So then." Botta said. "What do we do now?"

"We'll just have to keep a close eye on Lloyd, I suppose. I hate to say it, but…he is the lynchpin of our plan."

"What a thing to be keeping it together." Botta sighed and stood up. "According to Zelos, the group is heading back to Sybak and then to Ozette. Perhaps we should try to intercept the group there."

"Just keep an eye on them for now," Yuan responded, settling his elbows on his desk. "Eventually, they're going to have to return to Sylvarant, so they'll come to us."

Botta nodded. "Yes, sir." He started to leave the room, then hesitated. "Sir, I have to ask. Do you really think Kratos would willingly return to Cruxis if they killed his son?"

Yuan had a faraway look on his face as he stared at Botta, as if he couldn't see the man in front of him at all. Finally, he broke out of his stupor and said quietly, "I'd rather not find out."

* * *

Zelos' mansion was a large and ornate stone house, towering over everything around it, save for the church and the castle. The group quickly made their way inside, keeping their heads down and avoiding people who might recognize them.

"Hey, Sebastian, I'm back." Zelos shut and bolted the door. There was a well-dressed man waiting for them, smiling benignly at Zelos.

"Welcome home, Master Zelos. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"

Zelos shrugged. "Eh, same old, same old. Anything happen while I was gone?"

Sebastian cleared his throat. "I was instructed by the Pope and an emissary of His Majesty Tethe'alla the 18th to report as soon as the Chosen returned."

"You can just ignore that."

"Very good, sir. And who is the guest with two swords?" He turned towards Lloyd and gave a small bow.

"My bud. Make yourselves at home," he added to the group. "Food's in the kitchen, bedrooms are upstairs."

"If there is anything you need, Sir Bud, please do not hesitate to ask." Sebastian bowed again and started to walk to the kitchen. Lloyd blinked.

"Wait, my name's not Bud!" he called, but Sebastian was already gone. "Ugh…"

Zelos plopped down dramatically on the couch. "Sit down, relax, guys. Read a book, or…Lloyd, you can, I dunno, count the ceiling tiles or something."

"Shut it!" Lloyd sat beside him, with Colette on the other side. Presea started upstairs, heading for a rather uncomfortable looking chair. Genis followed her, looking a bit like a lost puppy.

Raine found a seat in an arm chair and curled up, her book from the Imperial Research Academy already open in her hands. Sheena opted to head outside, Corrine following her, bells chiming as they walked.

Kratos went for a chair that was off to the side, pulling out one of his own books.

He'd developed a list for what he would need based on the information he had found. The notes were scribbled in the margins of the books, written in the ancient language. He scanned over the list and exhaled softly.

If he wanted to create something to wield the eternal sword—this "Ring of Transference" the book detailed—then he needed to be able to melt down, cut, and shape Aionis. The adamantite he had made in Sybak would make any crafting tool sharp enough to manipulate the material. If he could get his hands on some sacred wood, then perhaps he could melt the Aionis down.

"Where did Presea say she was from?" he asked abruptly. Lloyd, Colette, and Raine all looked at him curiously. "Well?"

"Ozette." Zelos answered, sounding almost bored. He didn't seem surprised or bothered by the question. "It's in the middle of nowhere, past Sybak. Why?"

"Making plans," he lied. "At some point, we'll have to pull out a map and figure out a good route to take."

"Oh! Just like we used to in Sylvarant!" Colette clapped her hands excitedly. "This is just like the Regeneration Journey. It'll be so much fun!"

Zelos was still focused on Kratos' question. "You curious about the little one, eh, old man?"

Kratos huffed and went back to his book. "As I said. Just planning ahead."

"Hmm…I'll admit, I'm curious what sort of people allow their young daughter to travel across the world and don't send anyone after her." Raine went back to her book, but her face showed her concern. "We arrived in Meltokio about a week ago. Presea has been gone from home for longer. The fact that they'd let her just…travel the world alone…it's concerning." She sighed deeply. "Of course, given what we learned about her being part of an experiment…it's highly likely that she's an orphan."

"Hmph." Kratos glanced up, where he could just barely see the girl's boots, unnaturally still as they hung off the chair. "We'll find out soon, I suppose."

* * *

Pronyma often made a point to check in on Lord Yggdrasill, especially on long stretches of days when he would hole himself up in his castle. It worried her, though she would not admit it to him. A man shouldn't spend so much time by himself. Not for so long.

"Lord Yggdrasill? Do you have a moment?"

He was sitting on the throne, his chin on the back of his hand. He looked pensive as he stared out into the abyss. "What is it, Pronyma?"

She knelt down near him. "My lord, I have new information on the Chosen's location. Currently she is in Meltokio, staying with Zelos Wilder, but they plan to leave in two days. They required a vehicle to get to Sybak, so they've asked for help from the Elemental Research Laboratory."

Yggdrasill turned to stare at her. "Rise, Pronyma." She did as he asked. "Yuan hasn't collected everything for the Crystallus Inofficium yet. Don't make a move for her, just observe her activities."

"Of course, Lord Yggdrasill." She hesitated, then added, "My lord, is something bothering you? If I can possibly do anything to help..."

He waved his hand dismissively. "No, I'm simply trying to..." He stopped and gave her a curious look. "Actually. Perhaps you can help."

"It would be my pleasure," she said eagerly.

"I want you to find out any information you can on Lloyd." He stood up and started toward her. "Observe him while you observe the Chosen."

Pronyma seemed taken aback. "Lloyd? Why?" He narrowed his eyes and she quickly backtracked. "I-I mean, of course, my lord. Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

Yggdrasill folded his arms and turned back to the sky around him. "...His personality," he said finally. "I want to know the sort of person he is."

She nodded and gave him a tight smile. "Well...there is one thing..."

"What?" he demanded.

"There is a researcher I know," she explained. "She works in the Elemental Research Laboratory. It was through her that I discovered the group's plans. While talking to her...she told me something interesting about Lloyd. She said he was incredibly...kind. Polite. He thanked the researchers for their help, asked questions about their lives. She said he was the nicest human she had ever met."

"...That's very interesting," Yggdrasill said. "He travels with half-elves, he treats half-elves well. Curious."

Pronyma stiffened. The way he was talking about Lloyd was almost as if he were impressed. "My lord, what...do you wish to do with this information?"

"It was a thought of mine," he said quietly, almost as if to himself, "What a waste for Lloyd to be so set against us, when I feel his ideals match our own."

"You want Lloyd to join Cruxis?" She considered it for a moment. "Hmm...we could use a passionate soldier for our cause. And if Lloyd joined us, Kratos would surely follow."

"I see great minds think alike, Pronyma." He nodded. "Go. Gather information on Lloyd. Anything you find, report directly to me."

Pride swelled in her chest at the compliment. "Of course, Lord Yggdrasill." With that, she gave a quick bow and marched away, towards the teleporter.

Yggdrasill watched her go before he sighed. With a simple flash of light, he reverted back to his younger self, swiping his golden bangs out of his eyes. East of Meltokio, he had told Zelos. That was where he would wait.

It was time for Kratos to face what he had done.

* * *

The Wilder mansion had several servants, including two cooks. Both were young women, absolutely besotted by Zelos, and eager to make an elaborate dinner for the group. They seemed almost disappointed when Zelos said, "Nah, my bud's a country bumpkin. He's a fan of simple, home cooked meals."

Lloyd shot him an annoyed look. "Hey! Don't talk about me like that!"

"I'm sure whatever you make will be fine!" Colette assured the women. "Just…nothing with tomatoes, please."

The cooks headed back into the kitchen, while Sebastian cleared his throat. "Master Zelos, didn't you have plans for after dinner?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Zelos breezily ran his fingers through his hair and turned to Lloyd and Kratos. "I was gonna go train after we eat. You two in?"

Lloyd grinned, ready to agree, but Kratos and Raine both cut him off.

"I'm not taking you out to train this late at night," Kratos said coldly. "It's too dangerous."

"I agree." Raine folded her arms and gave Lloyd a chastising look. "This isn't Sylvarant. With more mana in the world, monsters will be more powerful. It would be unwise to take risks like this."

Lloyd opened his mouth to complain, but Kratos interrupted him. "We can train tomorrow morning if you truly wish. When it's light outside."

His son's face lit up. "Alright! Hear that, Zelos? What time should we wake up?"

Kratos barely hid a smile. "We'll leave around eight, is that good?" When Lloyd nodded enthusiastically, he continued, "Very well. We'll have to find a good place, somewhere we won't be easily seen."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Zelos said with an enigmatic smile. "I know just the place. It's a little ways east of here."

There was something off about the statement: it was a little _too_ prepared, as if Zelos had rehearsed the line. By the way Raine's eyes narrowed and slid over to Kratos, he was sure she noticed it, too. Lloyd, however, was oblivious as ever.

"Awesome! I'm really excited, I think I have the spiral slash down!"

Zelos grinned and put his arms around Lloyd's shoulders. "Good job, bud. I knew you could do it. I have a sort of sixth sense about this stuff. Trust me, you're gonna be a master swordsman."

Zelos led Lloyd into the dining room, their voices fading as they walked away. Kratos moved to follow them, but Raine stopped him.

"Wait. I saw your face." She folded her arms and gave him a worried look. "You think Zelos has something planned."

Kratos nodded. "I do."

Her frown deepened. "And you still feel it's a good idea to be alone with him?"

"I think," he said slowly, "that it doesn't matter. If Zelos is plotting something, it's not going away on its own. He'll manage to separate Lloyd from the group one way or the other."

"Hmm. Fair point." She sighed. "But I think you have the wrong target."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Zelos probably isn't interested in getting Lloyd by himself." She turned to face Kratos. "He more than likely wants _you_. I'm sure by now that he's figured out who you are."

"Hmph. That had crossed my mind," he admitted. "But Zelos will have a hard time getting me alone. I can hardly stand being around him in a crowd. He's insufferable."

Raine chuckled. "It's not like you to complain." Her face sobered. "But still. Be careful around Zelos."

Kratos' reply was cut off by the cooks calling for dinner. As the rest of the group headed for the dining room, Raine gave him one last meaningful look.

"And make sure you watch out for Lloyd," she warned. "I still don't trust you. I just trust Zelos even less."

"Truly, words that inspire confidence," he said dryly. He sighed. "But you have my word. I'll protect Lloyd."

As he walked into the dining room, his eyes caught the boy in question. He was sitting between Zelos and Colette, laughing at something the other swordsman had said. He inhaled and mentally repeated his promise.

He didn't care what it took. He would protect his son.


	11. Chapter 11

**I swear, I didn't die. The holidays are just crazy for me. But I am back! Alive! Alliiiiiiive!**

 **This chapter went in a different direction than I originally intended. As always, I hope you enjoy, and a happy new year to everyone reading!**

* * *

Forcystus had never met Lord Yggdrasill in person.

Most of the Desians' orders were passed down from Pronyma, the leader of the Grand Cardinals. There wasn't any reason to meet any of the upper echelon of Cruxis. He'd only ever heard Yuan's voice over transmissions before, and he'd never so much as seen a picture of Kratos, the supposed overseer of Sylvarant.

He actually preferred it that way. Forcystus was a soldier; units worked best when the commanding officers stayed out of the fray. No micromanaging, no watchful eyes prying. Let the best man for the job, do the job.

It was late, nearly midnight. Forcystus had been finishing up some reports before he went to sleep. His eyes were starting to ache from the harsh lights of the computers, his head throbbing as he tried to focus. So when a man came into the office, an ethereal figure in the dark, his pale hair drifting in the air behind him, Forcystus had to rub his eyes before he realized the man wasn't just a sleep-deprived hallucination.

It must be him. Yggdrasill, the leader of Cruxis. The mana that hung in the air changed when he walked in. It was powerful and strong, an almost overwhelming feeling. It set Forcystus' nerves on edge, like an electric current running across his skin.

"Forcystus." Yggdrasill nodded to him as he stood up and bowed. "I am Lord Yggdrasill, leader of Cruxis."

"Welcome, my lord," Forcystus said. "What brings you here?"

"Curiosity." Yggdrasill paced around the room, craning his neck to investigate all the monitors and folders. "I'm sure you've heard that Kratos has betrayed us."

"Coward." Forcystus had no use for deserters and traitors. "Flighty inferior being. He'll be lucky if he never meets me."

"…You have been near the village for almost three decades, correct?" Yggdrasill was looking through the window now, out onto Iselia. In the darkness, the only thing visible was the twinkling lights of the candles. "So you must know of Lloyd."

Forcystus shrugged. "I didn't get much into the affairs of humans," he admitted. "I brokered the treaty to protect the Chosen, as requested, but never bothered with their pathetic lives."

"Your ranch is barely ten minutes away from the dwarf's house." Yggdrasill gave him a cold look. It was unnerving. "How did you not know he was alive?"

"I don't know how I would, sir." Forcystus had been raised polite: "yes, sir", "no, ma'am". He had also been raised to stand up for himself. Yggdrasill seemed impressed, but still annoyed. "My job is not to chase after long-lost children."

"You need to pay better attention to your surroundings." He sighed. "But I suppose it's of little consequence. Tell me, is there anything you _do_ know about Lloyd?"

Forcystus tapped his chin. "…He has the angelus project," he replied. "I only saw him use it once, but it is powerful. Kvar knew what he was doing."

"What about him as a person?" Yggdrasill questioned. "Is he intelligent? Kind? Easy to anger?"

"A typical teenager, I suppose," Forcystus said dully. "As I said, I hardly ever interacted with the villagers. The only time I dealt with him was when we tried to apprehend him in the village. He and the half-elven boy fought one of the Exebulas."

Oddly enough, this seemed to be what Yggdrasill was waiting for; he nodded, unsurprised, and folded his arms. "What about the boy?" he questioned. "Himself and his sister live there, correct?"

"Mmhmm." Forcystus didn't know exactly where Yggdrasill was going, but he humored the man anyway. "The boy had been interacting with one of the prisoners. Bringing food, books, medicine sometimes." Forcystus hadn't worried about it until they'd attacked some of his men. "But I don't know anything else about them."

"…" Yggdrasill looked pensive for a moment, then abruptly turned for the door. "This has been…enlightening. Continue operations as usual, Forcystus. I'll be in touch."

Forcystus watched him leave. He wasn't sure why, but he felt…uneasy. Off-balance, as if he were in danger. It was a soldier's instinct, his commander had always said. That gut feeling that you had just barely managed to avoid danger.

He chocked it up to a lack of sleep. After all, he thought as he shut down the monitors and flipped the lights off, it wasn't as if _he_ had anything to fear from Lord Yggdrasill.

* * *

It was early when Lloyd woke up, stretching in the borrowed bed in Zelos' mansion. He, Kratos, and Genis had been sharing one of the guest rooms, which all had nice, comfy beds and soft, warm blankets.

As he sat up, Lloyd glanced over. Genis was curled up in a ball on his bed, gently snoring into the pillows. He turned to see Kratos' bed, empty and perfectly made, the sheets tucked tightly and the blankets folded neatly on top.

Lloyd rolled out of bed and rubbed his eyes. He guessed he shouldn't be surprised; it wasn't like Kratos needed to sleep. He dressed himself, yawning as he slipped on his jacket and boots and swept his hair out of his eyes.

The mansion was quiet this early in the morning. Lloyd's footsteps echoed as he walked down the grand staircase. It was sort of…eerie. Too empty, too…lifeless. How did Zelos live like this?

"You're awake early."

Lloyd was yanked from his thoughts by Kratos, who was sitting on the couch with one of his thick books. The teenager went over and plopped down next to him.

"Yeah, I guess I just wasn't tired anymore." Lloyd craned his neck over Kratos' shoulder. "Huh? 'As a body's mana is exhausted, organ failure and rapid body mutilation may occur. Total mana depletion causes the body to cease all vital functions immediately, leading the subject to an almost instantaneous death.'" Lloyd made a face. "Geez, I don't know what that's about, but it doesn't sound great."

"It's what happens when a person's mana is exhausted." Kratos closed the book, marking his page by turning the corner down. "Your body begins to shut down and…change, then you simply…die."

Lloyd frowned. "Wait, change? You mean, like Marble and Clara and…?"

He didn't finish the question, but he didn't have to; Kratos knew he was thinking of his mother. "Not exactly. The victims of the Exspheres had their mana fluctuate rapidly, which caused their bodies to transform. _Losing_ mana causes abrasions and bruising, as well as internal injuries. More like a battle."

"That…doesn't sound good." Lloyd gave him an uncertain look. "Is this what you were doing, sitting up all night reading creepy stuff like this?"

"I was simply bored." Kratos set the book aside and glanced at a large clock on the wall. "We'd best start getting ready. I'm sure Zelos will be up soon."

Lloyd jumped off the couch. "Hey! I know. Let's go find something for breakfast. I'm starving." He gave Kratos a wide smile. "I'll bet Genis has some of those cookies from the other day left over."

"Make sure you eat something substantial," Kratos said sternly, gesturing towards the kitchen. "Not just sweets. You'll be complaining before we even get there."

"Aw, come on!" Lloyd begrudgingly started dragging his feet towards the kitchen. "You sound like the Professor."

"And make sure it's—"

"—Something hot, I got it, Kratos." Lloyd grinned at him. "You know, for a guy who doesn't have to eat, you sure do harp on me about it."

"Hmph. That's because you whine when you're hungry." Kratos followed his son into the kitchen. The room was large and pristine, with gleaming marble counters and several stove tops. Lloyd blinked as he stared around in wonder.

"Whoa." He walked around, heading for a pantry. "This place is huge!"

"Well, he is the Chosen, after all." Kratos watched as Lloyd opened the heavy pantry door and jumped back. Kratos raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's…cold…" Lloyd peered inside hesitantly. "And it has food in it!"

"Oh. That's to keep perishable food from going bad, Lloyd." Kratos followed him into the icebox, glancing around at the food. "Find something rich in protein. Maybe some eggs."

Lloyd grabbed a few eggs from a shelf, along with some cheese and bacon. Kratos reached up and pulled down a bundle of green onions and some spinach, throwing them on the pile. "Vegetables," Kratos added. "I'm not letting you just eat meat and cheese for breakfast."

"Okay, okay. You're gonna eat some, too, right?"

"I don't need to. Make some for yourself and Zelos."

"C'mon," Lloyd urged. "You might not need to, but don't you at least want to try some? I make the best omelets."

"Hmph." Kratos couldn't help the way his lips curled up slightly. "The best, huh?"

Lloyd grinned. "Yep! Just ask Genis, he's the one who taught me."

Kratos helped his son carry the food to the stove. "So, technically, Genis would make the best omelets, correct?"

"Whatever," Lloyd grumbled sourly. "You're eating some, though, right?"

Kratos conceded with a nod. "Very well. Here, I'll start cracking the eggs."

They got to work making breakfast, scrambling eggs and frying bacon. It was pleasant, Kratos thought, as Lloyd prattled on about how he expertly made omelets. Such a nice, normal thing to do. The sort of thing he and Lloyd should do more often. He gave Lloyd a fond smile as he handed the boy a bowl of scrambled eggs.

"I always put bacon on my omelets," Lloyd was saying. "And cheese, too. What do you want on yours?"

"Whatever is fine," he replied. "I'm not picky."

He watched while Lloyd poured the eggs into the pan. Satisfied, Kratos picked up a kitchen knife and started to chop some green onions. Lloyd looked over and watched his movements. "Hey. Can you cut things with your left hand?"

Kratos raised his eyebrows. "Why ask that all of the sudden?" he asked.

Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah…nothing, I just…I was curious. When I was a kid, the Professor told me that I was…amphibious, I think she called it."

"Amphi—? Lloyd. That means you're a frog. Try again."

He shrugged. "Whatever it was. She said I kept switching hands when I wrote."

"I think you mean ambidextrous."

"Yeah!" Lloyd confirmed. "That's it. She said most people only use one hand for stuff."

"Hmph. It makes sense," Kratos commented. "If you are naturally ambidextrous, it explains your preference for dual swords."

Lloyd blinked, then grinned. "Hey, I never thought of that!"

"It could also be a learned behavior," the older man continued. "My wife was left-handed, but because most of the world is right-handed, she had trouble finding objects suitable for her."

"Like scissors?" Lloyd added the filling to the omelet and flipped it. "They hurt if I try to use them with my left hand."

Kratos nodded as he cracked another egg into the bowl. "It's called right-hand bias. Most tools are designed for people who use their right hand. Therefore, she was forced to use her non-dominant hand a lot." His lips quirked up as his memories came back. "She used to complain about the clasps on jewelry being backwards."

It was why he'd had to get the locket specially made. She'd never worn bracelets or necklaces because it was a hassle to try and work the clasp. He could still remember the little gasp of delight when she first put it on.

"…You must have loved her a lot."

Kratos turned slightly to look at Lloyd, realizing he must have been smiling at the memory. "I did," he said slowly. "I still do. Love like that…it doesn't go away so easily. Even death doesn't stop you from loving someone."

He suddenly felt a pressure in his chest, like he couldn't breathe. He closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts.

He missed her. Like a wound ripped open, the loss of Anna was suddenly fresh and raw, emotion threatening to spill out like blood onto the floor.

She should be here, he thought, laughing with the two of them as they cooked breakfast. She should be chastising Kratos for obsessing about Lloyd's swordsmanship, reminding her son that he had homework due, sitting at the table and eating an omelet with them.

"Hey. You okay?"

Kratos opened his eyes again. Lloyd was staring up at him, face full of concern. "You look kind of upset."

"I'm fine," Kratos said quietly. Lloyd clearly didn't believe him. "Really, Lloyd. I was simply reminiscing about her."

Lloyd winced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's not a problem," Kratos assured him. "Just having a bout of foolish sentimentality."

Lloyd frowned. "I don't think it's foolish."

Kratos didn't really have an answer to that, but it didn't matter: their conversation was cut off by the arrival of Zelos.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?" he said as he breezed into the kitchen. He wrinkled his nose at the pair when he saw them. "Ew, I thought one of the girls would be in here, too. Ah, well, 'tis not meant to be." He went over and leaned casually against the kitchen counter.

"Here, Zelos," Lloyd said, handing him some eggs. "Crack these, will you?"

"Ugh, making me do work." Zelos sighed, but did as his friend asked him. "This is why I hire servants, bud! You should have just asked Sebastian to wake up a chef, they'd have made you breakfast."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "You're so spoiled. Come on, just crack the eggs."

They finished cooking and sat down to eat. Lloyd, of course, ate with his usual gusto, inhaling his eggs like a starving man. Kratos gave him a stern glare.

"Lloyd, slow down. You're going to get a stomach ache."

"It's fine," he grumbled, swallowing a bite. "I just want to hurry up and go train! I'm getting kind of bored here." He scratched the back of his head. Kratos sighed.

"Relax, bud," Zelos said, leaning back in his chair. "The last thing anyone wants is for you to puke while trying to fight."

Lloyd made a disgusted face and slowed down. Once they were done eating and cleaning up, Kratos told them to start preparing for their training session. He directed both of them to bring healing supplies.

"Just in case," he assured Lloyd. "There are monsters about."

"Ugh, but you and Zelos can both do first aid," Lloyd complained, hauling the heavy bag over his shoulder. "Why do we need all this stuff?"

Kratos ignored his question. In truth, it wasn't monsters he was worried about. However, he didn't want to tip Zelos off or make Lloyd worry. It was better, he decided, to keep his concerns to himself.

"Ready?" He nodded at both of them. "Good. Let's go."

* * *

Zelos led them to a clearing to the east of Meltokio.

Kratos didn't waste any time; he set Zelos and Lloyd to sparring each other as a warm up. His dark eyes tracked the movement around them, instead of focusing on the sparring. There were a few living creatures about: a flock of birds overhead, a rabbit in the brush. But he didn't sense any human mana nearby. Satisfied for the moment, he looked back at the pair fighting.

Lloyd was getting better, Kratos thought to himself. He was being a bit more deliberate in his movements, more careful of how he fought. He was no longer flinging his swords wildly around, like a child with a toy, but using them to his advantage.

"Stop." Lloyd obeyed immediately and Kratos nodded, pleased. "Very good. You're making progress."

Lloyd grinned. "Heh, I am, aren't I?"

"But don't get cocky," Kratos added sternly. "All swordsmen can improve on their work. You're making progress, but you can always make more."

"Yeah, I know." Lloyd swung his arms back and forth, still pleased from Kratos' compliment. "So, now what? I can do the slash for light spear."

"Now we talk about the dismount," Zelos said as he unsheathed his sword. "After the spin of light spear, you have one slash downward."

"A downward slash," Lloyd repeated. "Got it."

"Be careful," Kratos warned. "The ending strike leaves you completely vulnerable from the sides or behind. It's easy to forget that when you're in the middle of a battle."

"Get in the habit of spinning around after you land," Zelos suggested. "That way you can hit anyone who's behind you before they hit you."

"Got it." Lloyd got into his starting stance. "Tell me when."

Kratos nodded. "Very well…ready? Go!"

Lloyd wasn't bad, Kratos mused to himself. He kept stumbling on the landing, though, which was concerning. It would be easy for an enemy to catch him off guard. Kratos frowned.

"Stop." He moved forward and readjusted Lloyd's shoulders. "Keep your shoulders aligned with your hips. Widen your stance when you land."

Lloyd nodded. He tried again, doing an elegant spiral and a downward strike. He landed solidly, then grinned. "How was that?"

"Better," Zelos replied. "You need be more nimble, though. Lighter on your feet."

He tried a few more times, improving his technique each time. With practice, he was able to perform light spear correctly, followed by a quick spin around to engage the enemy behind him.

"Excellent job." Kratos gave him a smile and he grinned back. He unsheathed his own sword. "Now get ready. A technique is no good if you can't use it in battle."

Lloyd set his shoulders. "Let's do this!"

They attacked at the same time, their swords clashing together, metal on metal ringing through the trees. Off to the side, Zelos watched, arms folded.

Kratos was pleased to see that his son had been paying attention during the training sessions. Lloyd kept trying to get an opening where he could use light spear, but the older man certainly wouldn't make it easy. Every time Lloyd tried to move into the air, Kratos would cut him off with a quick downward slash. Lloyd growled, annoyed.

"Oh, come…on!" He managed to knock Kratos' sword and shield away, then ducked around before Kratos could cut him off. "Aha!"

Lloyd laughed triumphantly as he twisted in the air. Kratos ducked and rolled away from him, springing to his feet before Lloyd could strike him on the way down. And then, suddenly, Lloyd froze in midair.

The world went gray.

Kratos' breath caught in his chest. He recognized that spell: one of Mithos' specialties. He'd always been partial to magic on time and space. His favorite was Time Stop. The one he was using now to freeze Lloyd and Zelos in time.

He slowly turned around. The only other being in the still, frozen world was Mithos, in his child-like form, walking towards him with a blank look on his face. Kratos tightened his grip on this sword.

"What are you doing here?" he asked harshly. Mithos gave him a cold smile. "What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?" Mithos, surprisingly, walked past Kratos and headed for Lloyd. Kratos watched him, ready to attack at the slightest threat. His muscles tensed as Mithos stared at the young man. "Hmm. You know, the more I see of him, the more I see the resemblance. Especially his nose."

Mithos reached up and gently stroked Lloyd's cheek where he was, mid-spin. Kratos growled low in his throat. "Don't touch him."

"Fine." Mithos pulled away and sauntered towards Kratos. "I'm not going to hurt him. Geez, Kratos, you really don't trust me anymore, do you?"

"...Why are you here?"

"I'm here for you, Kratos." Mithos pointed his finger at Kratos' chest. "You're still Origin's seal. Without you, all we worked for is gone. Do you really want all of it—Martel, the human ranches, even your wife—to be wasted?"

Kratos pushed Mithos' hand away. "This is not what we have worked for. You may have deluded yourself into thinking this is what we once wanted, but it's not."

"Isn't it?" Mithos tilted his head and Kratos felt his heart lurch with familiarity. His memories flashed in front of him—a charismatic boy with a disarming smile and a sharp wit—and he averted his eyes, looking at Lloyd instead. "A world without discrimination. A home for all people. We could have it, Kratos, you and me and Martel."

Kratos ignored that he completely left out Yuan in this scenario. Instead, he just replied, "This is not what she would want, Mithos. And you know it." He moved closer to Lloyd, still uneasy with Mithos being near his son.

"I don't want to argue with you, Kratos. And I don't want to fight you." Mithos' face darkened, and any sense of nostalgia that Kratos felt fell away. "But I will if I have to. I'll hunt you down and take you back."

"Why not just take me now?" Kratos challenged. "I'm right here. You have Zelos and Lloyd frozen in time. It would just be me and you." He raised his sword in anticipation, but Mithos just smirked.

"In due time." The boy continued his pacing around the clearing. "I have no use for you at the moment."

"Of course you don't." Kratos noticed that Mithos didn't make any movements for his weapon. No surprise attacks, then. "Why have you come here, if not to take me back to Cruxis?"

"To give you a warning. Nothing will stop me." Mitho nodded to the frozen Lloyd and smirked. "Not even him. Be careful, Kratos, or you just might lose something important."

With those words, Mithos disappeared, breaking the spell around them.

Lloyd's attack came down on Kratos, but he didn't move to block or dodge the attack, still in shock. Lloyd's swords slashed across him, sending him back quite a few feet. He landed against a tree with a crash and laid there for a moment, stunned.

"Kratos?! Geez, I'm sorry, I thought you were guarding!" Lloyd came running over, while Zelos just watched from behind him. "Are you alright?"

"…" Kratos stared up at his son for a moment before turning away. "I'm fine."

He stood up, all previous traces of good humor gone. "We should head back."

"Wh…but Kratos, we were having fun!" Lloyd went to grab his arm, but Kratos gave him a stern glare. "What's wrong?"

"Fun...? This is not a game," he said in a deadly voice. "You are training to protect yourself. I won't always be around to save you. If you value your life at all, you'll take this training seriously."

Kratos whipped around, his cape slicing through the air behind him. As he walked away, he heard Lloyd and Zelos talking.

"Grr…What was _that_ about? What did I do to him?!"

"Bud…I don't think you did anything. I think that's all him and his problems."


	12. Chapter 12

**Oops, I vanished for a bit! I got really caught up in writing the ending of this story, actually. But I'm back! Happy reading!**

 **EDIT: Thanks to SnowNine, who pointed out that My Writing Lacks Continuity, oops. I left a chunk that shouldn't have been in there about Sybak, since I originally wrote this chapter there, then moved it. It's all better now!**

* * *

By the time the three swordsmen got back to Meltokio, Kratos' mood had not improved. He was still about ten feet ahead of Lloyd and Zelos, resolutely ignoring them. He went inside Zelos' mansion and headed immediately for the bedroom upstairs, paying no attention to the greetings of both Sheena and Colette. Seconds later, Lloyd stormed into the house after him.

"You can't just ignore me!" Lloyd shouted up the stairs. The older man said nothing. "Gah! Stop ignoring me!"

"Lloyd, stop shouting," Raine scolded as Zelos came in behind him. "What's going on?"

"Grr…" Lloyd glared up the stairs as Kratos shut the bedroom door. "He's such a jerk! Thinks he's better than me…"

"Yo, calm down there, bud!" Zelos clapped Lloyd on the back. "Relax. The old man's just cranky. Don't get upset over it."

"Zelos is right," Raine told him. "Lloyd, you trained with Kratos for the entirety of the Regeneration Journey. You used to have this argument with him all the time."

Lloyd frowned. "Yeah, I know, but…"

"No buts." Raine sighed wearily and closed her eyes. "Honestly, you'd think the two of you would be used to each other by now…"

"Kratos is just hard on you because he wants you to get better," Colette reminded him. "Remember,

"Yeah, well, he could do it without being a jerk," Lloyd grumbled. His anger was ebbing away, though, as it always did. He grumbled and headed for the kitchen, mumbling about being hungry. Zelos chuckled as he turned to follow him.

"I gotta say…the old man really did go from hot to cold. Wonder if something's up with him."

With that, Zelos followed Lloyd into the kitchen, ignoring the strange look Raine was giving him.

* * *

Kratos spent the rest of the day holed up in the bedroom, poring over his books and making strange notes in the margins. Lloyd stopped in a few times, but Kratos completely ignored him besides the occasional grunt.

No one except for Lloyd seemed concerned about him. Zelos seemed to think that Kratos' attitude fell firmly into the 'not my problem' category, claiming that he would get over whatever was bothering him.

Raine simply said, "It's Kratos, what do you expect? He's never been terribly social."

"Yeah," Genis added, "Remember when we fought Kvar? He didn't talk to anyone for almost two days…"

"Sometimes people just need to be alone, Lloyd." Sheena was brushing Corrine's fur, gently combing through the tangles. "Give him his space."

So Lloyd did just that: he left Kratos alone. Alone to his thoughts, about Yggdrasill and Cruxis and what to do next.

* * *

Kratos was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his books spread out around him.

He was unnerved.

For starters, he didn't like how Yggdrasill had caught him off guard. He had _known_ that Zelos was up to something. He should've been more prepared. He should never have gone with Zelos. He should never have put Lloyd into that sort of danger.

Instead, he'd been foolish, and Yggdrasill had gotten the drop on him, reminding him that he had to be on guard at all times. Be prepared, or risk losing…

Kratos gripped his locket tightly. Risk losing everything.

The door creaked open and Lloyd himself came in again, as if summoned by Kratos' concern. He let go of the locket and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. Not an easy task.

Lloyd hesitated, watching Kratos, then said, "Um, dinner's ready, if you're hungry."

"I'm not," Kratos said shortly. Lloyd bristled at the tone and Kratos sighed. "I'm not hungry," he said, gentler this time. "Perhaps I'll stop down later."

With that, the boy retreated, leaving Kratos alone again. He felt his heart thrumming against his ribcage and exhaled slowly. His skin itched; it almost seemed too tight, like armor that he couldn't squirm out of. It suddenly dawned on him, as he sat there and tried to control his own breathing, what he was feeling.

Fear.

Not fear for himself, but fear for his son. Fear that he would lose the child he loved so much. Fear that Yggdrasill would take away the last thing he had left. Fear of the pain and terror he felt that night, so long ago, searching in the dark for a little boy.

Kratos physically shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts out. He needed to focus. He looked back to his books and notes and dove back in. He needed to focus on the Ring of the Pact.

He tapped his fingers nervously against his knee. His first stop, he decided, was Sybak. He needed adamantite, and with the machine he had fixed, there was no trouble to make more. He'd go with the group there.

Then he would have to head for Ozette. He had no idea where sacred wood was found. Long ago, it had been in the dense woods that spread along the eastern half of the continent. No doubt Presea would know where to find it, assuming she would give him more than a blank stare when he asked.

And then…well…

There was only one place left that aionis was found. Right into the lion's den he would have to go. He would have to leave the group to go to Derris-Kharlan; there was no way he would let Lloyd go anywhere near the hell above them.

No, Kratos would have to face Yggdrasill alone. It was only right that Kratos be the one to end this.

No matter what it took.

* * *

Morning came and the group headed for the Tethe'alla Bridge. Kuchinawa was waiting for them there, Sheena said, with the EC.

Most of the group was subdued as they walked, sleepy and cranky from the early morning, with two notable exceptions. Colette, who had always been a morning person, was humming as she sauntered through the grass.

"Ugh, Colette, how are you so cheerful?" Genis mumbled. "It's too early to be so pleasant."

"Yeah, it's just unnatural," Zelos added grumpily. "Did you drink a gallon of coffee or something?"

"Heehee." Colette smiled at them. "I'm just really happy! I mean, we get to travel together, just like in Sylvarant! It's so exciting. Right, Lloyd?"

"Huh?" Lloyd glanced up at her, distracted. "Oh, yeah."

He wasn't paying attention to Colette. He was focused on Kratos, who was lagging behind the group a bit. He was glancing around anxiously, his dark eyes narrowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He almost seemed…paranoid.

Lloyd slowed his steps while the rest of the group continued. He waited until he was beside Kratos.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Lloyd saw Colette quickly glance over her shoulder, then turn away again. He lowered his voice a bit. "What's going on with you?"

"…Nothing, Lloyd. I'm just…anxious." He frowned at the teenager. "It would seem I'm the only one of us who is on their guard—"

"Kratos. Come on." Lloyd's eyes were narrowed at him, seeing through him, just like Anna's used to do. Kratos had never been able to hide himself well around her. It seemed Lloyd had the same trait. "Just…be honest with me, okay? What's going on?"

Kratos sighed. "Lloyd, this journey is about to get much more dangerous. It isn't like the Regeneration Journey. We're about to go up against one of the oldest and most powerful organizations in history." He closed his eyes and said out loud the thought he had refused to acknowledge for so long. "If you don't take this seriously…you'll die."

Lloyd frowned. "I'm taking it seriously, Kratos. I'm…I'm going to become stronger. I'm going to bring down Cruxis."

Kratos opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by…something.

Lloyd glanced around. Everything was grey. Not just every _thing_ , but every _one._ Raine, Zelos, Colette, even Kratos. They were frozen like statues, blending in with the grey world around them.

"What the hell?" Lloyd whipped around, eyes wide. "What's going on? You guys? Are you okay?"

He went over to Colette, still as ice. It was completely silent, almost eerily quiet, and he reached out to touch her. "Colette? What's—?"

"Your friends are safe," a bored voice called out. Lloyd spun around to see another person. A _familiar_ person. "Though the same can't quite be said for you, can it?"

Yggdrasill. The angel that Kratos had saved them from. The leader of Cruxis.

"Wh...what's going on?" Lloyd demanded. He unsheathed his swords, though Yggdrasill made no movement to attack. "What did you do to my friends?!"

Yggdrasill sighed. "I told you already," he said impatiently. "No harm has come to your friends. I simply stopped time so that you and I could…discuss some things."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lloyd reached out and grabbed Kratos' arm. He was completely stiff, immovable with unseeing eyes. "Kratos!"

"My, your foolishness astounds me." Yggdrasill stepped towards Lloyd. "I will repeat myself. Your friends cannot hear you; we are outside of time."

"Ou—outside of…?"

Yggdrasill gave an irritated sigh. "Time, yes. I wished to speak with you, Lloyd Irving." The man began to circle him, a predatory gleam in his eye. "I've heard interesting things about you."

"Like what?" Lloyd asked. "What do you even want with me?"

Yggdrasill stalked towards him. "You're a strange human, Lloyd. Most humans would never dream of travelling with half-elves. Especially someone like you."

"Like me?" Lloyd glanced around uneasily. "What's that mean?"

"Orphaned because of half-elves," Yggdrasill mused. "Forced to face a world of terror and fear, all because of the way half-elves hate humans. You should despise half-elves."

Lloyd blinked at him. "…No I shouldn't," he said slowly. "That's not…right."

Yggdrasill stopped walking towards him. "What do you know of right and wrong?"

"Enough to know that hatred for the sake of hatred is wrong."

Yggdrasill gave him a cold smirk. "Spoken like a true friend of the Chosen. Tell me, Lloyd, do you wish for a world of peace and harmony, just as Colette does?"

"Yeah. Of course I do." Lloyd was still tensed, waiting for an attack that wasn't coming. Yggdrasill was watching him, his green eyes narrowed.

"Then I offer you an opportunity." Yggdrasill gestured to Kratos. "Kratos was a very important member of Cruxis. With him gone, I am in dire need of someone to take his place beside me." He moved his hand to point towards Lloyd. "I believe _you_ are the one I need."

"Why me?" Lloyd asked. "I hate Cruxis!"

"And yet," Yggdrasill mused, "we share ideals. I am merely trying to achieve a peaceful world, free from the discrimination of humanity's selfishness."

`Lloyd clenched his fist. "Yeah? And how are human ranches supposed to help you guys do that?"

"With the Cruxis Crystals." Yggdrasill tapped the crystal on his chest. "We will never age, never die, never feel pain. We will eliminate all races and become one type of being. There will be no half-elves, no elves, no humans. Only lifeless beings."

"But that won't help anything!" Lloyd argued. "Discrimination comes from the heart. And, besides, what about all those people who died to make those Cruxis Crystals?"

"Necessary sacrifices," Yggdrasill said dismissively. "I wouldn't expect a child to understand the nuances of creating a new world."

Lloyd glared at him. "I understand plenty!"

"Do you? Imagine, Lloyd," he said, gesturing to the world around him. "A world where you and your friends could live in peace. No more running, no more fighting. Raine and Genis would never have to live in fear. You could go anywhere you wanted. You and Kratos could travel the world on that boat you dreamed about."

Lloyd jolted a bit. He had no idea how Yggdrasill knew about that; probably from someone watching them or from Kratos himself. It was weird how well Yggdrasill seemed to know just what he wanted. He _did_ want Genis and the Professor to be safe and happy. He _did_ want to see the world at peace. He _did_ want to travel without having to worry.

But what was the cost of working with Cruxis? Kratos had lost his wife to them, Colette her humanity, even the Desians that Lloyd himself had killed had paid the price with their lives.

Slowly, he opened his mouth. "…What about Colette?"

"Excuse me?" Yggdrasill spun around, looking as if he wasn't used to being talked back to.

"I said," Lloyd said, getting louder, "what about Colette? Where does she fit into in this new world?"

"The Chosen becomes Martel's new body. The vessel for her soul." He sighed wearily. "Yes, the Colette you know will cease to exist, but she will bring a return to a goddess."

"No, I don't think I like that," Lloyd said conversationally. "I'll stick with my original plan, thanks."

Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow. "So, you refuse my offer?"

"You bet I do." Lloyd raised his swords at Yggdrasill, who sneered at him. "Now, let my friends go!"

"Do you intend to fight me?" Yggdrasill laughed. "So…you wish to die here."

Lloyd set his stance, swords ready to attack. Before he could move, however, there was a loud crack, like a bone breaking, and a flash of light.

"N—no!"

There was a split second where Lloyd saw Kratos, free from Yggdrasill's spell, run in front of him, tearing his sword out of its sheath. He reached out and shoved Lloyd to the ground, planting himself protectively in front of the boy.

Before Lloyd could react, Yggdrasill recast the spell, sealing Kratos out of time. "Kratos…always getting in my way."

The color had drained out Kratos again; he was now frozen, like a guardian statue, his sword and shield up.

"Kratos!" Lloyd jumped up and rounded on Yggdrasill. "Grr…knock it off!"

Before either of them could react, there was another crack; Kratos had broken the spell again, charging towards Yggdrasill. This time, he managed to get a good slash on the angel before the spell was recast. On the ground, Yggdrasill stood up and wiped a thin line of blood from his mouth.

"Heh…I see how it is." He rounded on Lloyd and laughed humorlessly. "Very well, Lloyd. If you are to refuse my generous offer, then I will take my leave."

A pool of light gathered around him. "You coward!" Lloyd yelled, but it didn't matter. Yggdrasill teleported away. His voice echoed in the stillness of the frozen world.

"I'll be seeing you again, Lloyd Irving."

The spell broke, letting all of his friends free. Those ahead of him continued walking, as if they hadn't even noticed they had been stuck. Before he could say anything, however, Kratos made a strangled grunt and lurched forward.

"Kratos!" Lloyd grabbed the older man, who was pale and shaking, a trail of blood trickling down from his forehead. He was struggling to stay on his feet, almost pitching forward as he stumbled to walk. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Raine turned around to see Lloyd, hauling a weakened Kratos to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"Professor!" Lloyd threw Kratos' arm around his shoulders. "It was Yggdrasill, he did something and now Kratos—!"

His friends were staring at him, confused, and Lloyd realized they had no idea what he was talking about. Raine didn't waste any time asking questions, instead rushing towards Kratos, who was rapidly losing consciousness.

"He's going to pass out. Lloyd, hold him still."

She pulled out her staff while the rest of the group crowded around them. Lloyd kept Kratos still while she healed him, then frowned.

"What's the matter, Professor?" Colette asked anxiously. "Is he alright?"

"My healing artes aren't working." She pursed her lips and pressed her hand against his forehead. She stood up, still frowning. "His mana is nearly gone. Lloyd, what happened?"

"Yggdrasill was here," he told her. "Right here, and he froze all you guys. It—it was weird, you couldn't move. It was just me and him."

"What?" Genis balled his hands into fists. "Yggdrasill was here? Lloyd, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine. But Kratos kept…I don't know, he kept getting un-frozen or whatever, and Yggdrasill kept freezing him again. And then Yggdrasill left and…" Lloyd shrugged. "Everything went back to normal."

Raine sighed as she checked Kratos' pulse. "He needs to rest. Let's get to the House of Salvation nearby, and you can tell me what happened."

"I'll go ahead and let Kuchinawa know what happened," Sheena said. "I'll meet you guys there!"

"Got it." Lloyd pulled Kratos up and started to drag him forward. Raine gestured to Zelos.

"Grab his other side," she told him. Zelos grimaced, but hung Kratos' other arm around his shoulder.

"Geez, the old man's heavy," he complained, as he and Lloyd lifted Kratos' limp body. "Let's get going, before I break my back."

* * *

Pronyma was waiting for him when Yggdrasill arrived back in Derris Kharlan. He seemed tired, she thought. Almost as if he had been doing battle. Sitting in his throne, he said, "Pronyma. What is it you want?"

"Oh, my lord. I see that Lloyd was not willing to join us?"

"No, not that I expected him to." Yggdrasill shifted, feeling the ache of magic in his muscles. Having Kratos break his spell multiple times had certainly put a strain on his mana. "We will see how he reacts the next time we meet. I may convince him yet."

"My lord…I know it's not my place to question you…" She hesitated. Yggdrasill sighed warily and flicked his hand for her to continue. "However, I must express my concern. Do you really believe that Lloyd can be convinced to become a member of Cruxis? After all, he is human."

"…If all else fails," Yggdrasill said quietly, "then I do have another plan. After all, I don't really _need_ Lloyd. I need Kratos, and he will go where Lloyd goes."

"What is the plan?" she asked. Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow. "My lord," she added hastily.

"It's not important at the moment." Yggdrasill closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "Now go. I need to think."

Pronyma left with a worried glance behind her. Yggdrasill was staring up into the purple sky, green eyes open, chest barely rising with his breathing. She sighed and went into the teleporter, leaving him to his own devices.

* * *

Kratos had fallen completely unconscious in the time it took the group to reach the House of Salvation. No one spoke on the way there; they all seemed to be jumpy and paranoid. Genis kept jerking his head around at the noises of the wildlife around them, while Colette kept fidgeting with her chakrams. Raine was worriedly checking Kratos' pulse as Lloyd and Zelos carried him.

"Is he going to be okay, Professor?" Colette asked. Raine's frown deepened.

"I think so. He passed out, but I can feel his mana slowly regenerating." Her eyes flickered to Lloyd. "If it's what it appears—that Kratos was trying to break a powerful spell—then he's lucky he didn't die."

The House of Salvation was quiet in the early morning, with only an older priest up and about, collecting water from the well. He nodded pleasantly at them as they passed, making a gesture of respect to Zelos. They headed upstairs to where the beds were.

"Put him down," Raine ordered. Lloyd and Zelos did as she asked, dropping Kratos onto the bed. "Hmm…his mana is still very low, but I think he's out of the woods. He should wake up after resting for a few hours." She turned her attention to Lloyd, who was staring down at the man. "Lloyd. You need to tell us what happened."

Colette sat on the bed, tucking her legs underneath her. Genis settled on the floor while Zelos leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Presea quietly sat in a chair, back straight and eyes ahead. Lloyd rubbed the back of his head and began to recount the story.

When he was finished, Genis asked, "So, Yggdrasill didn't try to fight you?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No. He just kept trying to get me to…come join Cruxis."

Raine walked over to where Kratos was lying, while Colette said, "I'm so glad you're okay, Lloyd. He could have really hurt you!"

"It's sort of creepy to think about," Genis said, hugging his knees against her chest. "I mean, I didn't even know anything was happening. Yuan wasn't kidding, that Yggdrasill guy is no joke."

"Yes," Raine mused, "it's disconcerting that Yggdrasill is able to isolate and attack one of us without any of the others knowing."

"Well," Zelos interrupted, "the old man knew what was going on. Sort of…strange, isn't it?"

Raine's frown deepened, but she didn't say anything. Finally, Zelos shrugged and continued, "Well, maybe we should go get some breakfast, eh? I'll go grab some grub from the—"

"No." Raine shook her head. "We stay together. With all this going on, we can't afford to lose anyone else. We stay here."

"I can make us something," Genis said, standing up. "Come on, there's a kitchenette downstairs."

While Zelos and the younger girls followed Genis downstairs, Raine held Lloyd back. "Wait."

"What is it?" he asked. Raine looked more serious than usual, and a bit apprehensive. "Professor?"

"When Yggdrasill approached you," she said quietly, "he offered to let you take Kratos' place, correct?"

Lloyd nodded. He had left that particular piece of information out of the story; it wasn't important. Or at least, he didn't think it was.

"Um…yeah, why?" Lloyd scratched the back of his head. Raine inhaled, as if preparing herself. "Professor?"

"Did you consider it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you consider Yggdrasill's offer?" she repeated sternly. "His offer to join Cruxis?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Of course not! Not after everything they've done…"

Raine gave a sigh of relief. "Good. I'll admit, Lloyd, I was worried. Cruxis commands the world's religion. I was afraid that they might be able to command you, too."

"Don't worry, Professor," Lloyd assured her. "After what they did to Colette, I'd never join Cruxis."

She smiled at him. "Of course not. I shouldn't have worried."

Raine turned around to go downstairs. Lloyd glanced back at Kratos' prone body. The man was still unconscious, but his face was twitching, as if in pain. Lloyd hesitated, then went back to sit beside Kratos. "Professor…I'm going to stay here. Just in case something happens."

Raine nodded. "Alright. I'll bring you something to eat. He should be fine, but call me immediately if he starts to shiver." She hesitated, then said, "Lloyd. You owe Kratos a thank you when he wakes up. It's very likely he saved your life today, at the risk of his own."

"Yeah," Lloyd said quietly as he looked at his mentor's tense face. "I know."


	13. Chapter 13

**I could not decide if this chapter should be fluffy father-son goodness or exposition dump. So I guess I made it both. Either way, here we go! Enjoy.**

* * *

When Kratos was a boy—too young to understand the meaning of war and death— if he fell ill, his mother would sing to him. She would prop him up in her arm, swaddle him in a blanket, and gently sing in a language long lost to time. The song, he realized as he got older, was about the gravestone of a young soldier, lost during the war. It was sad and slow and haunting.

But little Kratos didn't know what it meant, besides comfort when he was sick.

Years later, Kratos would hum the song to another child, this one older than he had been. While Mithos sobbed helplessly at his side, Kratos couldn't bear to sing the lyrics; they hit a bit too close to home. Instead, he just hummed through Mithos' grief, unable to do much else.

And then, so many more years passed, and Kratos would sing it to his own son. On nights when Lloyd was sick with fever, he would press the boy against his chest and sing the old Angelic song that his mother used to sing. He would rock his son sleep to an old lullaby about war. He could still feel the heavy weight of Lloyd's body against his chest, the soft whimpering as Kratos sang. He would settle his chin on top of Lloyd's head, tucking the boy safely against him.

As he slowly came out of the floaty fog that came from mana exhaustion, Kratos wondered why those memories were coming to him now. Why was he dreaming of such old scenes of his life?

Then he heard it.

Humming.

Kratos opened his eyes, waiting for the world to come into focus. He could still hear the humming, deep and solemn, from beside his bed. He turned his head.

"Ll—Lloyd?"

Lloyd jerked at his voice. "Kratos! You're okay!"

"…Are you alright?" His voice was hoarse and he was in a bit of a daze, but he remembered quite clearly what had happened. He sat up, a little too abruptly for his tired body. "Ugh...You're not hurt, are you?"

"Geez, Kratos, I'm fine!" Lloyd had already stood up and was calling down the stairs for Raine. Kratos leaned back against the pillows and sighed.

"Good. I was worried."

"You were worried?" Lloyd grinned as he came back in. "I wasn't the one who collapsed."

Raine came upstairs, her staff in hand. "You're awake, good. How are you feeling?"

"…Fine." Kratos held still as Raine checked his pulse, then turned his neck this way and that. "Tired, mostly."

"You almost died." Raine had never been one to mince words, and she wasn't about to start now. "I don't know why in the world you thought you'd be able to break a powerful spell and come out unscathed, but you're incredibly lucky."

"I'm aware." Kratos sighed. "I never thought Yggdrasill would try something like this. He usually doesn't fight his own battles."

Raine's eyebrows went up. "Interesting. I suppose we do deal mostly with his subordinates…Remiel, the Desian Grand Cardinals, Pronyma…"

"Myself," he admitted. Raine gave a humorless chuckle at his comment. "It's true."

Raine clicked her tongue. "Well, you seem to have recovered fairly nicely. We can probably head for Sybak tomorrow. Sheena brought the Elemental Cargo, so we should be okay to travel soon." She started for the door, then hesitated. "We're also going to have to have a group…discussion tonight. Since Yggdrasill appears to becoming more directly involved…I think we need to rethink our plans."

"Of course." Kratos watched her go, then glanced at Lloyd. "You don't have to stay up here, you know. I'll heal fine without you."

"Yeah, I know," Lloyd said sheepishly. "I just…I needed some time to think."

Kratos nodded, but didn't say anything else. He watched Lloyd for a moment, as the boy fidgeted with his hands, before he finally said, "I don't mind the company, I suppose."

Lloyd's face relaxed. "Thanks, Kratos."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Kratos suddenly asked, "Where did you learn that song you were singing earlier?"

"Huh? I just remember hearing it a lot when I was little." Lloyd shrugged. "It's one of those things that stuck in my mind. I don't remember when I learned it."

"That's a very old song," Kratos remarked. "It's from the Kharlan War era."

Lloyd blinked. "R—really?"

"Really."

The pair lapsed into silence again. Lloyd seemed to be preoccupied, his mind elsewhere as he stared at his hands. Kratos cleared his throat.

"Lloyd…are you alright?" Something was going on, though Kratos couldn't quite put his finger on it. "What's bothering you?"

Lloyd glanced over at him, then sighed. "Kratos…if I tell you something, can you keep it a secret?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know." Lloyd's eyes went down to his feet. "Just…keep it between the two of us, okay?"

"Alright," Kratos agreed. "I won't tell anyone."

Lloyd shifted and straightened his back. "Okay, here goes…I lied to the Professor."

Kratos folded his arms. "What about?"

Lloyd twisted his fingers together. "She asked me if I had thought about joining Cruxis. I told her no." He sighed. "But…I lied. When Yggdrasill was talking to me…for just a second, it…sounded like a good idea."

"…You…?" Kratos felt his heart freeze. _No, no, no, not Lloyd. Not Lloyd._ "You didn't tell Yggdrasill yes, did you?"

"No, no!" Lloyd quickly shook his head. "I just…what he was saying made me think."

"Right." Kratos sighed with relief. "Good." _He can't take Lloyd. Anything else…just not Lloyd._

"I just mean…it sounded nice, what he was talking about. I kind of get why you joined them." The boy put his hands on his knees and looked up at Kratos. "A world where no one is persecuted. That's what the Regeneration Journey was about, too. So that all the humans and half-elves and everyone else could live in peace."

Kratos watched him carefully, but said nothing. Yes, the dream was a nice one; if only Yggdrasill had truly wanted to see it through to the end.

"But then I thought of…my mom," Lloyd continued. "And Marble and Chocolat. And everyone else who is trapped in the human ranches. They wanted salvation, too." He clenched his fist. "As long as Cruxis is around…people will still be sacrificed to the Exspheres. So Yggdrasill and Cruxis have to be stopped!"

"That's right," Kratos said encouragingly. "So long as Cruxis continues, there will still be lives lost. The victims of the human ranches, Desians, the Chosens themselves…"

"Yeah." Lloyd sighed. "Gah! I'm such an idiot for even thinking about joining Cruxis! After everything they did to us!"

"Yggdrasill did not build an army and amass supporters by sheer luck," Kratos said calmly. "He was…still is, I suppose a charismatic man. You aren't a fool for faltering for a single moment."

"I guess." Lloyd didn't sound convinced. "Thanks, Kratos. I appreciate the support. And…thanks for keeping this between us."

"Of course, Lloyd." Kratos smiled comfortingly at his son and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Don't be so hard on yourself. That's my job."

That got a smile out of him. He ducked his head, embarrassed. "Whatever," he said as Kratos pulled his hand away. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. Genis made stew!"

Kratos swung his legs out of bed and stood, stretching his muscles with a groan. "Ah...I forgot how much this hurts. Mana deprivation...it's nastier than I remember."

Lloyd shifted on his feet. "Um…thank you for helping me back there with Yggdrasill."

Kratos smiled and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm just glad you're safe, Lloyd. That's all that matters."

* * *

In the kitchenette in the basement, the rest of the group was sitting on the floor, a pot of stew in the middle. Genis and Colette both smiled when Kratos and Lloyd came down.

"Kratos! You're awake!" Colette clasped her hands together. "I'm so happy you're feeling better!"

"Thank you, Chosen." Kratos and Lloyd both sat down and Genis handed them bowls of food. "So, Raine, you said we needed to discuss our plans."

"Yes, I think it's time," Raine said testily, "that we put all our cards on the table."

Zelos was grinning, his smile fake and plastic. "Heh. I know where this is going." He gestured to Kratos. "So. Which one of us traitors will you interrogate first, hmm?"

"Zelos!" Sheena stared at him in shock. "You knew about Kratos the whole time?"

"Of course he did," Raine said with a sigh. "It was inconceivable that Yggdrasill would send him to observe us, but not tell him about Kratos being in our group."

"Hehe." Zelos closed his eyes and shrugged. "What can I say? Cruxis offered me a pretty sweet deal for my cooperation."

"Let's start there," Raine said. "What exactly is Cruxis giving you that convinced you to work for them?"

Zelos exhaled slowly. "…You really want to know? Alright." He closed his eyes. "Yggdrasill promised to remove my birth status. He said he'll make…someone else the Chosen."

"He can do that?" Genis asked, shocked.

"He can do anything he wants," Zelos said in a low voice. "You guys still don't get it. Yggdrasill didn't just stumble into Cruxis and become its leader. _He built Cruxis._ The entire Church system, the Desians, everything. That was his doing."

"He's right," Kratos said. "Yggdrasill has taken great pains to ensure that Cruxis controls every aspect of the world. Although," he added, "I don't believe he ever was going to keep his end of the deal with you. Transferring the title of Chosen would require a lot of work; it would honestly be easier just to kill you."

His proclamation was met with stunned silence, except for Zelos, who simply said, "Well, that _would_ get me out of being the Chosen."  
Raine interrupted. "Let's move on. Kratos, you said you were surprised that Yggdrasill came down to speak with Lloyd in person. Why is that?"

Kratos nodded. "Yggdrasill…much prefers to be a mysterious figure behind Cruxis. If the world knew that Cruxis was run by a single man, the entire organization would lose credibility and control. If I'm being honest, there are only a few times I can remember him to coming down from Derris-Kharlan to interfere."

"Really?" Raine raised an eyebrow. "Tell us."

Kratos stopped. He had to tread carefully. "…I left Cruxis once before, many years ago. None of his subordinates or followers could capture me. Eventually, it came down to Yggdrasill and Yuan chasing me throughout both worlds."

Raine nodded in understanding. "So, Yggdrasill is getting desperate, is what you're saying."

"Correct."

"And desperation makes him dangerous."

"Also correct." Kratos sighed. "That's why he's using magic such as Time Stop, despite the inherent risks. He's willing to do anything to get me back under Cruxis' control."

Lloyd frowned. "Wait, why is that weird spell he used risky for him? He almost killed you with it!"

"Lloyd, high level spells like Time Stop aren't like the magic Genis and I cast." Raine sighed wearily. "Honestly, did you pay any attention to my lesson on mana consumption and reabsorption?"

"Uh…I had a headache that day!" Lloyd grinned at her.

"I suppose if you've never studied it," Genis explained, "it doesn't seem that different than a regular spell. But Time Stop is one of the most advanced magic spells that's ever been created. There have been tons of stories about magic-users dying because they exhausted all their mana trying to cast it."

"It's also considered taboo among spell casters," Raine added. "Any sort of magic that manipulates time can have disastrous consequences. The fact that Yggdrasill is able to stop and start time at his will is…concerning."

"It wouldn't say that," Kratos said with a wry smile. "Yggdrasill is a gifted spell caster—I've never met anyone who has such power over mana as he does. But even he cannot use those types of spells for a long period of time. They weaken within seconds, and completely break within several minutes."

"Of course," Raine said quietly. "That's why you were breaking through the spell. You weren't trying to fight him at all, were you?"

"No," Kratos replied. "I will admit, if I had to fight Yggdrasill one on one…I'm not sure I would be able to defeat him. So I simply took up all his time and energy, hoping he would become exhausted."

"Interesting tactic," Raine mused.

"You shouldn't do that sort of stuff!" Sheena burst out. Kratos raised an eyebrow at her. "Look, I learned all about this during my training to become a summoner. If you use all your mana, you _die._ You can't be healed, it's too late. It's really, really dangerous."

"Be that as it may." Kratos folded his arms. "This is no time to hold back. You're going to have to get used to danger if you want to defeat Yggdrasill."

They fell silent, digesting this. Finally, Raine said, "Then I suppose we only need one other question answered." She turned to Zelos, eyes narrowed. "Zelos. Are you a member of Cruxis or a member of our group? Because you can't be both."

"Hmm…" Zelos squinted. "I mean…let's be honest. Whose side would you be on?" He held up his hands. "One side has the weight of the entire world religion, a crazy powerful madman, and a goddess. The side has…" He glanced around. "…well, you have a great personality."

"Zelos!" Sheena reached over and socked his arm. "Stop playing around! You're on our side, right?"

Zelos' smile faded. "Look, I don't think you understand. I'm all for stopping Cruxis, but…I have to look out for myself."

"Then go!" Sheena snarled in disgust. "If you aren't going to help us, then just go join Cruxis! You…you ass!" She huffed and jerked head away from him.

"It seems we agree on something," Raine said coldly. "Zelos, you can't stay in our party if you're going to work against us. You need to leave."

"Right," Genis said. "We're enemies now…"

Zelos shrugged, though it wasn't his usual laid back shrug. "Well…I guess I should've expected it…"

"No."

All eyes turned, once again, to Lloyd, the only dissenting voice. Raine sighed.

"Lloyd. You always see the good in people, but this is just absurd. He just confessed that he's going to work against us!"

Lloyd shrugged. "So? We've known that he's working for Cruxis since we met him. What's different now?"

"Lloyd." Kratos turned to his son. "You think Zelos can be convinced to join us, don't you?"

"Well…yeah." Lloyd stood up and nodded towards Zelos, who was staring at him. "Look, you said you didn't want to be the Chosen anymore, right? Well, if we win and take down Cruxis, there won't _be_ any Chosens anymore."

"Besides, Professor," Colette added. "Zelos can spy on Yggdrasill for us! It's perfect!"

"I knew you all were going to do this," Raine said, exasperated. "You are all too soft."

"Please, Professor," Lloyd said. "Just like Colette said, we can use Zelos to get info on Cruxis!"

"Well, it would benefit us to have you act as a double agent." Raine sighed. "And I suppose that we don't have anything to lose."

"Wait." Kratos glared sternly at Zelos. "We're giving you quite the gift here. So in return…there's something I want."

"Heh. What is it?" Zelos held up both his hands. "Don't know what I can do for you, but ask away."

"…In Derris-Kharlan, there is a material that Yggdrasill keeps a close eye on. It's called aionis."

Raine stiffened. "Aionis?"

Kratos ignored her, intent on Zelos. "I'm almost certain that Yggdrasill has it kept under wraps. But you're clever. Surely you can get a hold of some."

Zelos scoffed. "Sure. I'll just go up there, waltz in, and steal something from him. Yeah. That'll go well."

"Try." Kratos folded his arms. "I need that material."

"Why on earth would you need—?" Raine blinked, then made a noise in her throat. "Never mind. I know you won't tell me."

"Because it's not important right now." Kratos nodded at Zelos. "Well? Do I have your word?"

Zelos stared at him, then nodded. "Fine. You got it, old man. If I get the chance, I'll grab some aionis for you. I guess I do owe you one."

"Good." Kratos turned around towards the stairs. "Now, if that's all we have to talk about…I'm going to go rest. I assume we'll be heading for Sybak tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's the plan," Raine mused. "You seem to have recovered quickly, so I doubt you'll have any trouble."

"Then goodnight." Kratos started to head upstairs, but Lloyd shouted at him.

"Wait, Kratos! Why won't you tell us what's going on?" He was right behind the older man, fist clenched. "Why are you still being all secretive?"

"Because I have to be." The blunt tone of Kratos' voice was enough to stop any more questions Lloyd had. "Trust me."

Lloyd frowned. "Alright...I guess I do trust you." He glanced up at Kratos and gave him a playful grin. "But you know I'll figure it out eventually, right? I'm pretty good at wearing people down. Just ask the Professor!"

Kratos gave him his small smile before he continued upstairs. "Goodnight, Lloyd."

* * *

Around midnight, after everyone had fallen asleep, Kratos was restless; he ended up wondering the halls of the House of Salvation.

The darkness of the church was peaceful and serene. Kratos found himself sitting on a pew in front of the shrine to Martel. Despite the unsettling location, he was enjoying the simple pleasure of being able to be alone in the quiet, still night.

"Um…Kratos?"

Of course not.

"Yes, Chosen?" He eyed the young girl wearily. She was dressed in a nightgown, her normally perfectly smooth blonde hair tussled from sleep, her feet bare on the stone floor. "You shouldn't be up so late."

"Oh, I just had a bad dream." She smiled brightly, clearly not perturbed by the dream in the least. "I'll go back in a few minutes. But, if you're up, can I ask you something?"

"…" Kratos nodded his assent. Of course she would have questions: about Cruxis, about his betrayal, about the religion she spent her entire life enmeshed in. He was surprised she hadn't started questioning him sooner.

"Did you lose your soul? When you became an angel?"

This was not the question he had expected. He looked slightly taken aback. "No. I went through the transformation, which was painful, but I eventually had a Key Crest put on and regained my senses before it got to that point. Why do you ask?"

"It's horrible," she told him. He moved over on the pew to make room for her as she sat down. "Because you're not gone, you're just stuck. It's like your body is going without you. You can't move and you can't speak and you can't…scream." She closed her eyes tightly, as if she could shut out the bad memories. "It's like you're stuck in the Crystal. Trapped. And there's nothing you can do about it."

"Chosen…"

She opened her eyes again. "I was just curious. Because…well, I can remember things from when I lost my soul. Things that I did and I heard."

"Were you dreaming about that?"

"…Yes," she admitted. "I was dreaming that...that we were fighting you. That happened, right?"

Kratos sighed. "It did."

"But you came back to us."

"I did."

Silence descended on them, as there was no more to say. Kratos considered comforting her, though he was not the most comforting of people. Besides, that's what she had her friends for. Let Lloyd be the one to comfort her.

"You should go to back to sl—" he began, but she cut him off.

"Thank you."

Kratos blinked. "What?"

"For looking out for us." Colette smiled warmly at him. "I know you gave up a lot to come with us. So I wanted to thank you."

"…" Kratos didn't know what to say. Colette seemed to take his silence as acknowledgement and stood up.

"Thanks for talking to me, too, Kratos. I think I'll go back to sleep now. Goodnight."

She went back up the stairs, her footsteps fading away. He glanced up at Martel's statue, the lifeless eyes staring down at him. He started to stand up, but stopped as he caught sight of more movement.

There was someone else. Some who was sneaking out in the middle of the night, his cloak over their head as they ducked out of the doorway.

Kratos followed.

* * *

Zelos kept his hood up as he walked through the wet, shining grass. He had almost gotten caught on the way down the stairs; Colette had been going up to her room. But he'd avoided her by ducking into a broom closet. No one had seen him.

"Chosen."

Of course not.

"What now, old man?" he called. Kratos soft footsteps came closer from behind him. "What are you sneaking around for?"

"Following you, obviously." Kratos stood beside him, arms folded. "So, who are you going to go see now?"

"You always think the worst of me," Zelos replied. "Maybe I'm just going to visit a girl I like for some late-night fun." He shot Kratos a wink, to which the older man rolled his eyes. "You'd know all about that, eh?"

Kratos sighed. "I shouldn't even have bothered. This is a waste of my time."

Zelos narrowed his eyes. "Then get out of here."

He started to walk away, cloak swishing in the breeze. However, he stopped when Kratos continued.

"You know, Lloyd really does trust you." Zelos whipped his head around to see Kratos staring at him. "I don't know why. You flat out told us that you'd rather work with Cruxis. And yet…he still thinks you'll come around."

"Ha. He sure didn't get that from you," Zelos said. "Your old lady the trusting type?"

"…She married me."

"Too trusting, then." Zelos turned around again, heading for the exit of the city. "I'll see ya later, old man. Don't wait up."

He continued walking away. Kratos' footsteps faded away as he headed back to the House of Salvation. Zelos grit his teeth and kept walking.

Damn Kratos. Damn Yggdrasill. Getting him caught up in this whole mess, where he had to weigh all his conflicts in his head. It shouldn't be this hard to do the right thing.

Damn it all.


End file.
